China created 10.52 million urban jobs in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 87.7% of its annual target, as Beijing announced plans to expand employment opportunities in artificial intelligence and the services sector. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Saturday that employment conditions remained generally stable, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaging 5.2% between January and August. Vice Minister and ministry spokesperson Li Zhong said the government would work with other departments to develop a policy document promoting employment through services sector growth, and that Beijing would also seek to stabilise employment in labour-intensive industries and identify opportunities in emerging and future industries. Other planned measures include additional employment support for university graduates and young people entering the workforce, along with efforts to improve job quality for flexible workers and people employed through newer forms of work arrangements. The ministry also reported that basic pension insurance covered 1.079 billion people at the end of September, unemployment insurance covered 251 million people, and work-injury insurance covered 327 million, with the combined balance of China's three social insurance funds standing at 11.2 trillion yuan, or $1.67 trillion. The latest figures leave China needing approximately 1.48 million additional urban jobs in the final quarter to meet its annual target of 12 million.
Baidu IncBeijing plans a policy push to expand AI-related employment, a supportive policy backdrop for Baidu's AI business.
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