China's surveyed urban unemployment rate fell to 5 percent in June, the lowest level this year, as the government's push for an "employment first" strategy showed early signs of progress, official data showed on Wednesday.

官方数据周三显示，随着政府实施就业优先战略初见成效，6月份全国城镇调查失业率降至5%，为本年最低值。

The rate eased 0.1 percentage point from May and extended its decline from a March peak of 5.4 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

国家统计局数据显示，该数值较5月回落0.1个百分点，延续3月份5.4%峰值之后的下行态势。

The first-half average stood at 5.2 percent, unchanged from a year earlier, leaving economists confident that Beijing will comfortably meet its annual target of about 5.5 percent.

上半年城镇调查失业率均值为5.2%，与去年同期持平。经济学家认为，中国有望顺利实现全年5.5%左右的失业率调控目标。

Together with other indicators, the first-half data "shows the economy is generally stable, with key indicators running within a reasonable range", NBS Deputy Head Mao Shengyong told a State Council Information Office news conference in Beijing.

国家统计局副局长毛盛勇在北京国务院新闻办新闻发布会上表示，综合各项指标来看，上半年数据表明经济总体平稳，主要指标运行在合理区间。

He said authorities would step up efforts to stabilize employment, businesses, markets and expectations while promoting higher-quality development and sustaining reasonable economic growth.

他表示，相关部门将持续着力稳就业、稳企业、稳市场、稳预期，推动高质量发展，保持经济合理增长。

The jobless rate rose from 5.2 percent in January to a March peak of 5.4 percent before declining for three consecutive months. Officials attributed the March increase to a seasonal postholiday surge in job-seeking by migrant workers.

失业率从1月份5.2%升至3月份5.4%的高点，随后连续三个月回落。相关负责人表示，3月失业率走高源于节后农民工集中求职的季节性因素。

In June, the unemployment rate was 5 percent for locally registered workers, 4.9 percent for workers registered outside their place of employment and 4.8 percent for rural migrant workers, the NBS said.

国家统计局称，6月本地户籍劳动力失业率5%，外来户籍劳动力失业率4.9%，农民工失业率4.8%。

The surveyed unemployment rate in 31 major cities also fell 0.1 percentage point from May to 5 percent. By the end of June, the number of rural migrant workers employed outside their hometowns reached 192.27 million, up 0.5 percent from a year earlier.

31个大城市城镇调查失业率同样较5月下降0.1个百分点，至5%。截至6月末，外出农民工规模达1.9227亿人，同比增长0.5%。

The decline in unemployment came amid a national push to build an "employment-friendly" development model, a concept highlighted in this year's Government Work Report. The approach places "stable employment" first among four key priorities, followed by stable businesses, markets and expectations.

失业率回落的背景下，全国着力构建有利于就业的发展模式，这一理念在今年政府工作报告中重点提出。政策将“稳就业”列为四大重点工作之首，其次是稳企业、稳市场、稳预期。

In June, the State Council, China's Cabinet, unveiled a plan to implement the "employment first" strategy during the 2026-30 period.

今年6月，国务院印发方案，部署2026至2030年间实施就业优先战略相关工作。

Last week, authorities released key employment targets for the period, including helping 25 million unemployed people return to work and assisting 6.5 million people facing employment difficulties in finding jobs.

上周有关部门公布该阶段就业主要目标，包括帮扶2500万失业人员再就业，助力650万就业困难人员实现就业。

The plan also calls for keeping the urban surveyed unemployment rate below 5.5 percent throughout the period and providing subsidized vocational training to more than 50 million people, including 17.5 million rural migrant workers.

方案提出，在此期间城镇调查失业率控制在5.5%以内，面向超过5000万人开展补贴性职业技能培训，其中包含1750万农民工。

"The latest jobless figures were in line with expectations and will significantly strengthen efforts to achieve the full-year employment target," Li Chang'an, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics' Academy of China Open Economy Studies, said in an interview with China Daily.

对外经济贸易大学中国开放经济研究院教授李长安在接受《中国日报》采访时表示：“最新失业数据符合预期，将有力支撑全年就业目标完成。”

Separately, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security's employment promotion department said in a statement on Wednesday that China created 62.42 million new urban jobs over the past five years, while the average surveyed urban unemployment rate remained at 5.2 percent.

另据人力资源社会保障部就业促进司周三发布消息，过去五年我国城镇新增就业累计6242万人，城镇调查失业率均值维持在5.2%。

The employed population reached 725 million in 2025, with urban workers accounting for 65.6 percent of the total and nonfarm employment making up 77.8 percent, reflecting a continued shift toward higher-productivity sectors.

2025年我国就业人员总量达7.25亿人，城镇就业人员占比65.6%，非农就业占比77.8%，体现就业持续向更高生产率产业转移。

unemployment /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/失业；失业率

consecutive /kənˈsekjətɪv/连续不断的

unveil /ʌnˈveɪl/公布，推出