China Adds 10.52 Million Urban Jobs in First Nine Months of 2026

BEIJING — China added 10.52 million urban jobs in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 87.7% of its annual employment target, as policymakers prepare additional measures to support hiring, particularly in the services sector.

According to a report published by Reuters on Saturday, citing the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the government plans to introduce new employment policies in coordination with other departments.

The proposed measures will focus on expanding service-sector employment while maintaining job stability in labor-intensive industries. Authorities also intend to explore opportunities for job creation in emerging and future industries, where technological development is reshaping demand for workers.

China's average surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2% during the first eight months of the year, according to the ministry's figures cited in the report.

The ministry also reported broad coverage across the country's social insurance system. At the end of September, more than 1.079 billion people were covered by basic pension insurance, while unemployment insurance covered 251 million people and work-injury insurance covered 327 million.

The combined balance of the three major social insurance funds reached 11.2 trillion yuan, equivalent to approximately $1.67 trillion.

Employment remains a key economic policy priority for China as it seeks to support household incomes and consumption while adjusting to changes in its industrial structure. The government's planned focus on services and emerging sectors suggests that job creation will remain closely linked to both near-term economic stability and longer-term industrial transformation.

The effectiveness of the upcoming measures will depend on whether they translate into sustained hiring and improve employment opportunities across different regions and groups of workers.