China's youth unemployment rate declined in April, in what will likely be welcome news for Beijing as it steps up policy support for the economy.
The jobless rate among China's 16- to 24-year-olds, excluding those enrolled in school, stood at 14.7% last month, down from March's 15.3%, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed this week.
That's broadly in line with figures last week showing that overall headline unemployment stood at 5.0% in April, edging down from the prior month's 5.2%.
The jobs numbers come after China reported mixed economic activity figures for April last week showing a lopsided recovery. While industrial production was robust, consumption was sluggish and property data continued to be downbeat.
China's statistics bureau suspended the release of the youth jobless rate in June last year after the figure climbed to a record high of 21.3%.
It resumed releasing the series in January this year with a new methodology that excludes young people who are still studying. Other nations, including the U.S. and European countries, report employment figures, treating full-time students much the same as long as they have been looking for jobs.
Excluding students in school, unemployment among China's 25- to 29-year-olds fell to 7.1% in April from 7.2% in March, while that among the 30- to 59-year-old age group declined to 4.0% from 4.1% over the period, according to the official data.
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05-21-24 0413ET
