(Yicai Global) Nov. 16 -- China's labor market was slightly improving in October.

The surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas fell to 5.3 percent in October, 0.1 percentage point lower than that of September, data that the National Bureau of Statistics released today show.

Consumer spending was up. China's retail sales of consumer goods climbed 4.3 percent to CNY3.86 trillion (USD584.5 billion) over the same period, growing 0.1 percentage point faster than a month before that, the bureau added.

Editor: Emmi Laine