(Yicai Global) June 14 -- Joblessness among young people in China ticked up in May from the month before, according to an official at the National Bureau of Statistics, while urban joblessness fell overall.

Surveyed unemployment among people aged between 16 and 24 rose to 18.4 percent last month from 18.2 percent in April, Fu Linghui said at a press briefing today.

The increase was mainly due to the difficulties that firms faced during the recent outbreaks of Covid-19 in China, which impinged on their ability to hire, Fu added, noting that the young are also inclined to seek stable job positions, widening the gap between supply and demand.

The arrival of this summer’s graduation season will put further pressure on youth employment, with nearly 10.8 million university graduates set to flood into the labor market.

Meanwhile, surveyed urban unemployment fell to 5.9 percent last month, down from a 26-month high of 6.1 percent in April, NBS data showed today, as Covid restrictions were eased in a number of key Chinese cities. The jobless rate among those aged 25 to 59, the main labor group, was 5.1 percent, versus 5.3 percent in the previous month.

The government targets an overall jobless rate of about 5.5 percent this year.

China will focus on implementing various measures to stabilize the economy, boost steady economic development, and enhance the ability of businesses to create jobs, Fu said, adding that it will also alleviate the temporary difficulties faced by companies and stabilize the jobs market.

Moreover, China should actively promote the upgrade and development of industry to create high-quality jobs and generate better conditions for graduate employment, Fu noted.

Editor: Futura Costaglione