BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhua) -- China's job market remained stable in May, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate standing at 5.2 percent, unchanged from the April level, official data showed Thursday.

 

The unemployment rate among those aged between 25 and 59, the majority of the labor market, declined to 4.1 percent last month from 4.2 percent in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

 

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

 

"The employment situation is generally improving," NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui told a press conference.

 

The ongoing economic recovery, especially the sound momentum in the service sector, as well as the supportive measures of the government that are gradually taking effect, have helped boost the job market, Fu said.

 

He, however, cautioned that the pressure on total job supply and structural issues should not be overlooked, noting that employment pressure remains high for the youth, and there is a shortage of highly-skilled workers.

 

China has more than 96 million youths aged between 16 and 24 by May, and over 33 million of them have entered the labor market, according to Fu. Of these young job seekers, over 26 million have found jobs while some 6 million are still looking for work.

 

"With the economy continuing to improve, there will be solid support for the employment situation to remain generally stable," the spokesperson said.

 

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.