BEIJING -- China's job market remained generally stable in the first 11 months of 2024, as the surveyed urban unemployment rate on average edged down on a year-on-year basis, official data showed on Monday.

The surveyed urban unemployment rate on average in China stood at 5.1 percent in the first 11 months of this year, down 0.1 percentage points from the same period last year, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.

In November, the surveyed urban unemployment rate in the country came in at 5 percent, staying flat compared to the previous month, the data showed.

The surveyed urban unemployment rate in 31 major cities stood at 5 percent, unchanged from the previous month, the NBS data showed.

Chinese authorities have strengthened employment support for businesses and employees, including reduced premium rates for unemployment insurance, insurance refunds and subsidies for vocational skills training, among other measures.

The country created a total of 10.49 million new urban jobs during the first nine months of this year, official data showed. China has set a target of generating over 12 million urban jobs in 2024.