BEIJING, Jul. 26 -- China's registered urban unemployment rate was 4.1 percent at the end of June, with 9.08 million people registered as unemployed, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Monday.

The unemployment rate was unchanged from that at the end of first quarter, spokesman Yin Chengji said at a press conference.

The country created 6.55 million job opportunities in the first six months of the year and helped 2.9 million laid-off workers get re-employed, Yin said.

He said the country will continue efforts to boost employment during the rest of the year, introducing favorable tax policies and providing financial support.

The government aims to keep the urban registered unemployment rate below 4.6 percent and create more than 9 million jobs in 2011.