Students actively talk with company representatives during a job fair held at Henan University of Technology in Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan Province, on March 30, 2024. Photo: VCG

The youth unemployment situation in China improved in October compared to the previous month; The unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds (excluding students) reached its lowest level in the last three months. One expert said this was a sign of a labor market recovery with potential for further improvement.

The youth unemployment rate fell to 17.1 percent in October from 17.6 percent in September, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.

Observers noted that recent measures to stimulate the employment market have begun to yield concrete results, but policy support is expected to continue as the youth unemployment rate remained relatively high in October.

The Ministry of Education announced plans to launch campus recruitment activities for 2025 university graduates in November and December. The initiative aims to expand job opportunities and conduct targeted recruitment sessions.

The campaign will feature more than 40 online and onsite recruiting events offering more than 3 million job opportunities, according to People’s Daily.

Shanghai launched a citywide campaign in August to increase job opportunities for 2024 graduates and young job seekers. The initiative, led by the city’s human resources department, aims to achieve a 90 percent job placement rate for unemployed graduates by the end of the year, according to the Shanghai Observer, a Shanghai-based news agency.

University graduates have always been the largest group among young job seekers.
A significant increase in the number of university graduates is expected in 2025, with the total number expected to reach 12.22 million, according to official data released on Thursday. This represents an increase of 430,000 people compared to the previous year.

China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced that 10.49 million urban jobs were created across the country in the first three quarters.

The nationwide average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.1 percent from January to October, down 0.2 percentage points year-on-year, NBS reported on Friday.

“With more targeted policies and sustained momentum, the youth unemployment rate can gradually drop to a more reasonable level,” Li Changan, professor at the China Academy of Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times. Monday.

He added that future policies should focus on not only addressing new job demand but also solving existing employment challenges. In addition, innovative strategies are needed to further increase policy efficiency and provide broader and more equitable support for youth employment.