China
An ILO EPLex composite of 0.463 places China among moderate-protection jurisdictions on the 0-1 scale.
China's statutory protection against unfair dismissal is moderate - an ILO EPLex composite of 0.463 on the 0–1 scale, stronger than 67% of the 95 rated countries.
EPLex 0.463 · #32/95 · OECD 3.26/6. ILO EPLex · OECD EPL.
Employment Protection Composite
One composite verdict from 2 of 3 independent sources, each percentile-benchmarked against every rated country. A missing source never lowers the score -- its weight redistributes to the sources this country actually has.
Benchmarked against p10-p90 of every country rated by that source. See our methodology for the exact benchmark table and weights.
Where China sits on ILO EPLex protection
Every rated country's dismissal-protection composite, 95 countries
0.46 Top 33% higher than 67% of 95 rated countries
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source ILO EPLex · 2017
What the Data Shows for China
Asia-Pacific. Covered by 2/3 tracked datasets. The most recent ILO EPLex composite score is 0.463 out of 1.0 (2017), summarizing statutory termination rules into a single index. The OECD EPL overall strictness index is 3.26/6.0, where higher values indicate stricter rules on individual and collective dismissal.
Statutory notice periods in China scale with tenure across 7 tiers, reaching 1 month at 20 years of service. Severance pay can reach 20 months of salary at 20 years, while redundancy-specific pay is 20 months. The maximum probation period allowed by law is 6 months, defining how long employers can assess workers under reduced protection.
The EPLex redress/reinstatement sub-indicator is 0.500/1.0, reflecting how strong remedies are when a dismissal is ruled unlawful. Historically, China's OECD EPL score moved from 3.26 in 2008 to 3.26 in 2012, showing the direction of reform over time. 6 peer comparisons below.
Termination Protection Breakdown (2017)
Scale: 0 = no protection · 1 = maximum protection. Source: ILO EPLex 2017.
Notice Periods by Tenure
| Tenure | Notice Period |
|---|---|
| 6 months | 1 month |
| 9 months | 1 month |
| 2 years | 1 month |
| 4 years | 1 month |
| 5 years | 1 month |
| 10 years | 1 month |
| 20 years | 1 month |
Source: ILO EPLex Notice period is the legally mandated advance notice before termination
Severance and Redundancy Pay by Tenure
| Tenure | Severance | Redundancy |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | 1 mo | 1 mo |
| 9 months | 1 mo | 1 mo |
| 2 years | 2 mo | 2 mo |
| 4 years | 4 mo | 4 mo |
| 5 years | 5 mo | 5 mo |
| 10 years | 10 mo | 10 mo |
| 20 years | 20 mo | 20 mo |
Values in salary-months. Source: ILO EPLex. Severance = individual dismissal. Redundancy = collective/economic dismissal.
Historical Protection Score
| Year | Overall Score | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 3.26 | |
| 2009 | 3.26 | |
| 2010 | 3.26 | |
| 2011 | 3.26 | |
| 2012 | 3.26 | |
Scale: 0-6 (higher = more protective). Source: OECD Employment Protection Legislation database.
Compare China With...
Countries with similar labor-regulation profiles
Two peer sets for China on metrics that vary across the full country corpus, not regional containment. The nearest EPLex block below stays on the ILO composite; these neighborhoods use B-READY, OECD, or statutory-duration axes.
Similar OECD EPL strictness
Nearest countries by OECD employment-protection index (3.26/6 here).
Similar notice at 24 months
Nearest countries by EPLex notice period at 24 months tenure (1.0 months here).
Nearest EPLex peers
Closest ILO EPLex composite scores to China (0.463), not the global top of the list.
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Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OECD, ILO, and World Bank labor market databases. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: ILO EPLex, World Bank B-READY, OECD EPL.
PlainEmploy is rendered directly from the OECD Employment Protection Legislation indicators, the ILO EPLex database, and the World Bank B-READY labor pillar, no number is typed in by an editor. This country's composite scores and comparisons are computed directly from the underlying OECD/EPLex/B-READY tables, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-30.