BEIJING — China's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent in September, 0.5 percentage points lower than the same period last year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Oct 18.

During the first nine months of this year, the country created 10.45 million new jobs in its urban areas, achieving 95 percent of the annual target.

In the third quarter of this year, the job market remained generally stable, NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui told a press conference, citing key factors including sustained economic recovery and the implementation of job-first policies.

The recovery in the service industry is also conducive to expanding employment, Fu said, adding that the index measuring the service sector's output accelerated 0.4 percentage points in September from that in August.

The surveyed unemployment rate among those aged between 16 and 24 stood at 14.6 percent, while the rate among those aged between 25 and 59, the majority of the labor market, stood at 4.2 percent.

The surveyed unemployment rate in 31 major cities was 5 percent in September, down 0.3 percentage points from that in August.

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.