China’s new youth jobless rate does little to quell scepticism about economic data

The unemployment rate for urban youth in China during December 2023 stood at 14.9 per cent. PHOTO: REUTERS
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

BEIJING – China has resumed reporting youth unemployment figures in its monthly published economic data using a new methodology, after abruptly withdrawing the jobless rate months ago.

The numbers announced in January appear to be significantly better than the previous release, but have done little to quell scepticism about the reliability of Chinese statistics, as well as the health of the country’s economy.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.