The surveyed urban unemployment rate on average in China stood at 5.1 percent in the first half of 2024, down 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year, official data showed on Monday.

In June, the surveyed urban unemployment rate in the country came in at 5 percent, flat from the previous month and down 0.2 percentage points from June last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Despite pressure, China's employment situation was generally stable in the first six months, supported by a recovery in the labor-intensive service sector, government pro-employment policies and the creation of new types of jobs driven by new industries and new business models, said an NBS spokesperson commenting on the data.

Employment in wholesale and retail, accommodation and catering, transportation, and information transmission sectors saw marked year-on-year increases in the first half of the year, according to the NBS.

In 2024, China aims to create over 12 million urban jobs and keep the surveyed urban unemployment rate at about 5.5 percent

Monday's data also showed that China's gross domestic product grew 5 percent year on year in the first half of 2024.