Nation's job market remains stable in Q1

China's job market remained stable in the first quarter of the year, with the surveyed unemployment rate staying within a reasonable range as the economy got off to a solid start, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

The unemployment rate in urban areas rose to 5.3 percent in the first quarter, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter, the bureau said.

In March, the surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from February. The same rate was recorded in January.