China skips giving update on surging youth unemployment as economic slump deepens
China’s government has skipped giving an update on a politically sensitive spike in unemployment among young people as official data showed an economic slump deepened in July
BEIJING (AP) — China’s government skipped giving an update on a politically sensitive spike in unemployment among young people as official data Tuesday showed an economic slump deepened in July.
Meanwhile, the central bank unexpectedly cut a key interest rate in a sign of growing official urgency about shoring up economic growth that fell sharply in the three months ending in June.
Youth unemployment is sensitive after a survey in June found a record 21.3% of potential urban workers aged 16 to 24 couldn’t find work after an economic rebound following the end of anti-virus controls fizzled out.
Publication of unemployment by age group is suspended while the National Bureau of Statistics considers how it measures data, according to a bureau spokesperson, Fu Linghui. Fu said a survey found overall unemployment among urban workers was 5.3%, up 0.1 percentage points from June.
