--- description: The unemployment rate among those aged between 16 and 24 reached 20.8%, up from 20.4% in April, according to data published Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics. title: China’s Youth Unemployment Hits New Record High image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e83d99939d51589/698a3de8929fada3b2bf9ea7/China-Youth-Joblessness.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [China](/tag/china/) ## China Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # China’s Youth Unemployment Hits Record High: 1 in 5 People Aged 16-24 Out of Work by [Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/) ## Bloomberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 15, 2023 3:30 AM CUT  A man takes a nap at a cafe inside a mall in Beijing on May 24, 2023, as unemployment among young people in cities continues to rise. A man takes a nap at a cafe inside a mall in Beijing on May 24, 2023, as unemployment among young people in cities continues to rise.Andy Wong—AP by [Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/) ## Bloomberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 15, 2023 3:30 AM CUT China’s youth jobless rate edged up to a fresh record in May as the economy’s recovery slowed, adding to challenges for policymakers as new graduates join the workforce. The unemployment rate among those aged between 16 and 24 reached 20.8%, up from 20.4% in April, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. That’s four times the overall surveyed jobless rate, which was unchanged at 5.2%. **Read More:** [_China’s Aging Population Is a Major Concern. But Its Youth May Be an Even Bigger Problem_](https://time.com/6284994/china-youth-unemployment-aging-demographics/ "undefined") Youth unemployment has stayed elevated since early 2022 as Covid disruptions and a property slump added to already existing structural problems in the labor market. Many companies are reluctant to hire in the face of a lackluster recovery, while cash-strapped local governments are also trying to reduce costs. Summer is usually when the jobless rate climbs as tens of millions of graduates flood the market. High youth joblessness has weighed on consumer confidence, as households have chosen to repay their debt early to reduce risks. Authorities have rolled out measures including [subsidies](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-27/china-turns-focus-to-boosting-jobs-as-youth-unemployment-soars "undefined") to help companies expand hiring. People’s Bank of China Governor Yi Gang [pledged](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-09/china-s-central-bank-governor-reiterates-stable-policy-stance "undefined") earlier this month to promote full employment and step up financing to industries that are key to stabilizing employment, such as the services sector. _—With assistance from Jill Disis._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6287366/china-record-high-youth-unemployment/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6287366/china-record-high-youth-unemployment/"},"headline":"China’s Youth Unemployment Hits Record High: 1 in 5 People Aged 16-24 Out of Work","datePublished":"2023-06-15T03:30:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T16:01:43.722Z","description":"The unemployment rate among those aged between 16 and 24 reached 20.8%, up from 20.4% in April, according to data published Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics.","url":"https://time.com/6287366/china-record-high-youth-unemployment/","keywords":["China","wire"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e83d99939d51589/698a3de8929fada3b2bf9ea7/China-Youth-Joblessness.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Bloomberg","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/bloomberg/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e83d99939d51589/698a3de8929fada3b2bf9ea7/China-Youth-Joblessness.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"China Economy","caption":"China Economy","creditText":"Andy Wong—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/china/","name":"China"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6287366/china-record-high-youth-unemployment/","name":"China’s Youth Unemployment Hits Record High: 1 in 5 People Aged 16-24 Out of Work"}}]}] ```