Key Points
China announced a 14.9% jobless rate for people between 16 and 24 in December, using the new method, which excludes students..
It came as the National Bureau of Statistics announced that China's economy hit growth targets in 2023, following the end of the country's years of pandemic-era isolation.. came after youth unemployment surged following an economic slowdown in 2023..
Previously, the youth unemployment rate counted students who worked at least one hour a week as employed, and those who said they wanted jobs but could not find them as unemployed..
"Calculating the unemployment rate by age group that does not include school students will more accurately reflect the employment and unemployment situation of young people entering society," the statistics bureau said in a statement, adding that students should focus on their studies instead of finding jobs...
Excluding school students from the jobless rate will allow authorities to provide youths with "more precise employment services, and formulate more effective and targeted employment policies," the bureau said...
