BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's job market remained generally stable in October, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate standing at 5.1 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from September, official data showed on Friday.

It marks a decline for two consecutive months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

"Despite growing external headwinds and notable challenges in economic operations, China's employment situation has remained generally stable," Fu Linghui, NBS spokesperson, told a press conference.

A breakdown of the data showed that the unemployment rate for rural migrant workers stood at 4.5 percent in October, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous month and significantly below the national average, Fu said.

"Improvements in employment among key groups have provided crucial support for both livelihoods and growth," he added.

Friday's data also showed that in the first 10 months of this year, the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.2 percent.

China has set a target for a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent in 2025 and aims to create over 12 million new urban jobs within the year. ■