China’s Youth Unemployment Climbs for First Time Since February

  • Government cited graduation as reason for rise in jobless rate
  • Jobs data comes as other indicators point to sluggish economy

Attendees at a job fair in Shanghai in 2023.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
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China’s youth unemployment rate rose for the first time in five months as an influx of graduates entered the labor market at a time when the economy is struggling to find a firm footing.

Joblessness among people aged 16 to 24 climbed to 17.1% in July, according to data released Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics. That’s a significant increase from 13.2% in June and is more than three times the overall unemployment rate.