BEIJING — China's job market remained generally stable in the first nine months of the year, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Oct 18.

A total of 10.97 million new urban jobs were created during the period, meeting 99.7 percent of this year's target, according to the bureau.

The surveyed urban unemployment rate nationwide stayed unchanged at 5.2 percent last month, NBS data showed.

The surveyed unemployment rate among the people aged between 25 and 59, who represent the majority of the labor market, stood at 4.6 percent last month.

Meanwhile, the surveyed urban unemployment rate in 31 major cities was 5.2 percent in September, flat with August, said the NBS.

The surveyed urban unemployment rate is calculated based on the number of unemployed people who have participated in the employment survey in urban areas, including migrant workers in cities.

It was first introduced in 2014 to better reflect the job market and serve as a supplement to the registered urban unemployment rate compiled by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.