BEIJING, Jan. 9 -- China's overall employment situation will stay stable in 2023 as the economy continues to recover with optimized COVID response and pro-growth policies, a senior official has said.

The country maintained employment stability for the whole last year, with 12.06 million jobs created in urban regions, exceeding the annual target of 11 million ahead of schedule, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping told Xinhua in an interview.

Employment of college graduates was stable overall, and more people who had been lifted out of poverty were employed compared with 2021, Wang said.

The hard-won achievement was made against the backdrop of economic slowdown, epidemic resurgence, and a complex and fluid external environment, Wang noted, attributing it to effective policies to support economic growth, help businesses, promote entrepreneurship, assist key groups including migrant workers, and strengthen training and services for job seekers.

However, she acknowledged existing pressure and challenges in ensuring employment, pledging to "go all out to maintain overall stability in employment."

The employment-first policy will be strengthened, with efforts on the fiscal and monetary fronts to shore up employment, Wang said.

More support will be given to the service sector, micro, and small enterprises, and self-employed individuals, which have a large capacity for employment, she noted.

Measures will be intensified to encourage business startups and help those who have gotten rid of poverty, while large-scale training programs will be carried out for key groups and industries, according to Wang.

As the number of fresh college graduates is expected to reach a new high of 11.58 million this year, the minister highlighted work to help them find jobs as "a top priority."

Among a host of measures to address the challenge, the country will provide subsidies to encourage enterprises to create jobs, according to Wang.

Efforts will also be made to stabilize recruitment in the public sector, enhance services and training, and offer personalized assistance for graduates who have difficulty finding jobs, she said.