BEIJING, July 17 -- China's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.3 percent in the first half of 2023, 0.2 percentage points lower than that in the first quarter, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed (NBS) Monday.

On a monthly basis, the rate stayed unchanged from that in May, at 5.2 percent.

The rate among those aged between 16 and 24 was 21.3 percent in June, while that among 25 and 59, the majority of the labor market, was 4.1 percent, according to the NBS.

The surveyed unemployment rate in 31 major cities came in at 5.5 percent last month, also unchanged from the previous month, the data showed.