BEIJING, Sept. 14 -- China's job market remained stable in the January-August period as the surveyed urban unemployment rate dropped on a year-on-year basis, official data showed on Saturday.

The average surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent in the first eight months of 2024, down 0.1 percentage points from the same period last year, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a monthly statement.

In August alone, the unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, up from 5.2 percent in July.

"The urban unemployment rate saw a slight increase in August, primarily due to the influx of college graduates entering the labor market," NBS spokesperson Liu Aihua told a press conference Saturday.

This year, the Chinese government has stepped up efforts to ensure a stable job market, implementing measures to boost pro-employment policies, enhance job seeking services and support key groups such as college graduates and migrant workers.

"The employment situation for migrant workers remains relatively favorable, with the surveyed unemployment rate for rural migrant workers reaching 4.6 percent in August, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous month," Liu said.