China Posts Lower Youth Jobless Rates in June

China's National Bureau of Statistics said on July 20 that unemployment among urban residents aged 16-24, excluding students, fell to 14.9% in June from 15.6% in May. The jobless rate for the 25-29 age group dropped to 7.1% from 7.2%, while the rate for those aged 30-59 eased to 4.0% from 4.1%; all three age groups declined for a third straight month, according to Jiemian News. The bureau also said China's average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2% in the first half of the year, and the June rate stood at 5.0%, down 0.1 percentage point from May.