The Ningxia Hui autonomous region has strengthened its support for employment by creating 79,500 new urban jobs and transferring 823,000 rural workers out of farming last year, according to the region's human resources and social security department.

"Last year, we maintained the overall stability of employment, " said Xiao Shengqin, deputy director of the department.

The employment rate for college graduates stood at 97.3 percent, and 11,600 people facing difficulties got jobs, exceeding the previous target and setting a new regional record, he said.

According to Xiao, Ningxia provided strong support to key groups, including zero-employment households in urban areas, achieving what the regional government calls "dynamic zero elimination". This means that whenever they encounter a family without a breadwinner, authorities help at least one member find a job.

With the help of the employment and entrepreneurship center in Jinfeng district of Yinchuan, the regional capital, Zhang Jing got a job at the Helanshan Zhonglu subdistrict office near her home.

The 38-year-old, who worked at an educational institution, lost her job in 2021. Soon after, her husband quit his job working in another city to return to the family.

When she registered with the local unemployment office and the center and confirmed that no one in the family was working, they found her a job.

Now, Zhang earns 1,950 yuan ($287) a month, the minimum wage in Ningxia.

"It's good that I've got a new job. No matter how much it pays, it at least eases some of the burdens on my family," she said.

In December, the third plenary session of the 13th CPC Committee of Ningxia and its economic work conference proposed the implementation of a number of priority policies and pledged to do everything possible to stabilize employment.

The aim is to create 80,000 new urban jobs, transfer 800,000 rural workers from farming, employ 90 percent of college graduates and keep the urban unemployment rate under 5.5 percent this year.

Xiao said that the department will take its lead from the conference, focus on the employment of college graduates and other key groups and support employment and entrepreneurship through a variety of measures.

The autonomous region will issue preferential policies to support companies in creating jobs and to encourage graduates and rural migrant workers who have returned to their hometowns to start their own businesses, thus creating more jobs.

"We will offer job training programs to targeted groups, especially those with strong skills and who are in urgent need, as well as accelerate the development of labor markets for migrant workers to keep the number of rural migrant workers stable," Xiao said.

"In addition, we will continue to strengthen employment assistance and ensure there are no zero-employment families," he added.