China created 3.34 million new jobs in the first quarter of the year, an official said Monday.

"The figure was 160,000 higher than the number created in the same period last year," said Mao Shengyong, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, at a press conference.

China's employment situation was generally good in the first quarter this year, with the unemployment rate in 31 major Chinese cities staying under 5 percent at the end of March, according to Mao.

"Meanwhile, more workers from rural areas found jobs in urban areas in the first two months, an increase of 2.7 percent year on year," Mao said.