China adds 6.95 mln new urban jobs in H1, achieving 58 pct of annual target

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China created a total of 6.95 million new urban jobs in the first half of 2025, achieving 58 percent of its annual target, official data showed on Tuesday.

In June, the surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5 percent, remaining flat compared with one year earlier, Cui Pengcheng, spokesperson of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, told a press conference.

Thanks to the government's supportive policies, the country's employment situation has remained generally stable despite a complex and volatile external environment, Cui said.

The stable employment trend also came as the country's economic recovery continued to gain momentum in the first half of the year, with its GDP growing 5.3 percent year on year during the January-June period. In the second quarter, the country's GDP expanded 5.2 percent year on year.

China has set a target for a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent in 2025 and aims to create over 12 million new urban jobs.