Analysts believe growth was lower than official data suggests
That left the country with a trade surplus of $41.99 billion for the month
China's official unemployment rate has been around four per cent for years, despite the rapid slowdown in the economy
Exports also showed signs of improvement, falling by a less-than-expected 2.8 per cent from a year earlier
Consumer inflation has remained well below China's official target of around 3 per cent in 2016