BEIJING - Home prices remain a major issue of public concern in China, with 53.7 percent of those surveyed by the central bank describing prices in the third quarter as "high and hard to accept."

The ratio was up 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in a report, citing a survey of over 20,000 savers.

Looking ahead at the price trend in the fourth quarter, 23.1 percent expected prices to rise, while 52.2 percent expected them to be unchanged.

Against the backdrop of the government destocking campaign and easing monetary policies, home prices in major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have hit record highs, but smaller cities have struggled to shift the glut.

New home prices in 100 surveyed cities rose for the 16th-consecutive month in August on a month-on-month basis, according to data compiled by the China Index Academy.

The central bank also found 50 percent of those surveyed thought inflation was "high and hard to accept," down 3.3 percentage points from the second quarter.

For the job market, around 45.3 percent considered the employment situation "severe," and their expectation index was 46.2 percent, up 1.2 percentage points.