Singapore media Lianhe Zaobao reported on the 19th that China's youth unemployment rate (young unemployment rate) reached an 11-month high.

According to the age-specific unemployment rate for July announced by China's National Bureau of Statistics on the same day, the unemployment rate for the labor force aged 16-24 in urban areas nationwide, excluding students currently enrolled, was 17.9%. For those aged 25-29, it was 7.2%, and for those aged 30-59, it was 3.9%.

The unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 rose by 3 points from June (14.9%), marking the highest value since September last year. July is the period when university graduates rapidly enter the labor market. In July last year, the unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 (youth) was 17.8%, and it further increased to 18.9% in August.

The number of general university graduates nationwide for 2026 is expected to reach 12.7 million, an increase of 480,000 from last year. In addition to this, past graduates who have not found employment, those who have returned from studying abroad, and people who failed graduate school entrance exams or civil service exams also accumulate, making the severity of summer job hunting activities prominent. (Translation and editing/Kitada)