英语新闻丨促就业政策显成效，就业形势稳中向好

China's jobless rate for its youngest workers fell to 15.6 percent in May, the lowest level in 11 months, official data showed on Monday, ahead of a record wave of college graduates entering the job market.

6月22日公布的官方数据显示，5月份中国16至24岁青年劳动力失业率降至15.6%，为11个月以来的最低水平。这一数据发布之际，新一轮创纪录的高校毕业生即将进入就业市场。

The unemployment rate for the 16-to-24 age group, excluding students, dropped 0.7 percentage points from 16.3 percent in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
据国家统计局数据，16至24岁青年劳动力（不含在校生）失业率较4月份的16.3%下降了0.7个百分点。

The rate had peaked at 18.9 percent in August — the highest since China revised its survey methodology in December 2023 — before declining steadily between September and February.
该失业率在去年8月曾达到18.9%的峰值——这是自2023年12月中国调整调查方法以来的最高水平，随后在去年9月至今年2月期间持续回落。

It ticked up again in March before resuming its downward trajectory in April and May.
3月份该数据再度小幅回升，随后在4月和5月重新进入下行通道。

The improvement was broad-based across age groups. The unemployment rate for the 25-to-29 age group cohort fell to 7.2 percent in May from 7.4 percent in April, the lowest in three months, while the rate for the 30-to-59 age group edged down to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent, a four-month low.
失业率的改善在不同年龄段具有普遍性。25至29岁年龄组失业率从4月份的7.4%降至5月份的7.2%，为三个月来最低；30至59岁年龄组失业率则从4.2%微降至4.1%，创四个月新低。

The overall urban survey unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from April.
全国城镇调查失业率为5.1%，较4月份下降0.1个百分点。

Li Chang'an, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics' Academy of China Open Economy Studies, attributed the improvement to stable macroeconomic fundamentals and the continued strengthening of pro-employment policies, particularly those targeting young people.
对外经济贸易大学中国开放经济研究院教授李长安将失业率的改善归因于宏观经济基本面的稳定以及稳就业政策的持续发力，尤其是针对青年群体的就业支持政策。

"The employment first policy, I should say, has played a very positive role," he said.
“应该说，就业优先政策发挥了非常积极的作用，”他说。

China has made job creation a top priority. Earlier this month, the State Council, China's Cabinet, unveiled a plan to place an "employment first" strategy into action over the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. The blueprint seeks to stabilize overall employment while better aligning what students learn in school with what employers actually need.
中国始终将就业置于优先位置。本月初，国务院发布了在“十五五”规划期间（2026—2030年）全面实施就业优先战略的行动方案。该方案旨在稳定整体就业的同时，更好地实现学校教育与市场需求之间的衔接。

For young people — especially the record number of college graduates this year — the plan aims to broaden job and career pathways. Steps include building a national big data platform to match talent with job openings, and revamping university curricula to better serve emerging industries.
针对青年群体——尤其是今年创纪录的高校毕业生——该计划旨在拓宽就业与职业发展通道。具体措施包括建设全国性大数据平台，实现人才与岗位的精准匹配，以及调整高校课程设置，更好对接新兴产业需求。

Other programs feature skills training for 1 million young workers in advanced manufacturing and modern services, as well as a million apprenticeships in technology, technical, and management fields.
其他项目包括为100万青年劳动者提供先进制造业和现代服务业技能培训，以及在科技、技术和管理领域设立100万个学徒岗位。

Despite the decline in youth joblessness, the 15.6 percent youth unemployment rate remains more than double the 7.2 percent rate for the 25-to-29 group and nearly four times the 4.1 percent rate for the 30-to-59 group, underscoring persistent structural imbalances in the labor market.
尽管青年失业率有所下降，但15.6%的青年失业率仍为25至29岁年龄组（7.2%）的两倍以上，且接近30至59岁年龄组（4.1%）的四倍，凸显出劳动力市场中持续存在的结构性失衡问题。

Li said the elevated youth unemployment rate is a mix of a chronic oversupply of college graduates and a persistent disconnect between what young people learn and what employers need — particularly as adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates demand for highly skilled workers while education and vocational training fall behind.
李长安表示，青年失业率居高不下，既是高校毕业生长期供给过剩的结果，也反映了青年所学与企业所需之间的持续脱节——尤其是在人工智能快速普及加速了对高技能人才的需求之际，教育与职业培训明显滞后。

The data comes as China prepares for a record 12.7 million college graduates this year, up 480,000 from 2025, according to the Ministry of Education. The influx is expected to keep pressure on youth employment in the coming months.
据教育部数据，今年中国高校毕业生人数将达到创纪录的1270万人，较2025年增加48万人。预计这一增量将在未来几个月内继续对青年就业形成压力。

Li warned that youth employment pressure will persist over the next decade as graduate numbers continue to climb, though he added that the central government's sustained employment first policies should help keep the situation on track.
李长安警示称，随着毕业生人数持续攀升，未来十年青年就业压力仍将持续。但他同时表示，中央政府持续实施的就业优先政策应有助于保持总体局势稳定。

"With employment pressure remaining intense this year, it is essential to keep pushing the employment first strategy and policy support — that is the bedrock for lasting stability in youth jobs," Li said.
“今年就业压力依然较大，必须持续推动就业优先战略和政策支持——这是实现青年就业长期稳定的基石，”李长安说。