BEIJING, April 23 -- China's job market remained generally stable in the first quarter of 2024, with a total of 3.03 million new urban jobs created during the period, official data showed Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the country's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent in March, and the employment situation remained generally stable.

Calling it "a good start" for the year, Chen Yongjia, an official with the ministry, said the employment situation has remained generally stable, with main employment indicators staying steady in the first quarter.

Chen attributed the stable performance to the country's economic recovery and the government's policies to stabilize growth and promote high-quality development.

As the country's economy continues to improve, there are favorable conditions for the country to boost employment further, he told a press conference.

The country set an annual target of creating more than 12 million new urban jobs by 2024 and aimed to keep the surveyed urban jobless rate at around 5.5 percent this year.

Chen said the country will continue efforts to expand employment channels and foster new employment growth areas such as advanced manufacturing, digital economy, and silver economy.