Apr 26, 2013
By Pang Lei

China's urban jobless rate has remained at 4.1 percent for eleven consective quarters, according to Yin Chengji (尹成基), a spokesperson for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security at a press conference held earlier this afternoon in Beijing.

Over the first three months of this year China created 3.42 million new jobs in urban areas, according to official figures from the ministry.

The much derided measure is based on urban residents registering for unemployment benefits and doesn't include data about migrant laborers. It is the only official measure of unemployment published in China.

The indicator has remained at 4.1 percent since the figures for the second quarter of 2010 were published in September of that year.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, over the last 15 years it [the unemployment indicator] has stayed in a tight range between 3.1 percent and 4.3 percent.

Links and Sources
China Securities Journal: 人社部：一季度末城镇登记失业率4.1%
Reuters: China created 12.7 million urban jobs in 2012
Gov.cn: China\'s urban jobless rate at 4.1% in 2011
WSJ: Chinese Survey Shows a Higher Jobless Rate