BEIJING — China's job market remained generally stable in February, with the surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas standing at 6.2 percent, official data showed on March 16.

The figure went up 1 percentage point from the previous month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

A total of 1.08 million new urban jobs were created in the first two months of 2020, the NBS said.

The surveyed unemployment rate among the people aged between 25 and 59, the majority of the labor market, stood at 5.6 percent in February, 0.6 percentage points lower than the overall rate across the country.

Meanwhile, the surveyed urban unemployment rate of 31 major cities was 5.7 percent last month, according to 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.

NBS spokesperson Mao Shengyong attributed the rise of surveyed urban unemployment rate to enterprises' decreased demands for labors amid the epidemic. The employment situation will continue to improve as enterprises restore production order, he told a press conference.

Mao also noted China will promote the overall stability of employment of the year by supporting both enterprises and employees. The country will assist companies, especially small and medium-sized firms with hedging tools while making better use of employment funds, enhancing professional training and helping key groups of labors such as college students and migrant workers.