URUMQI, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region created a total of 480,900 urban jobs in 2019, through nurturing a favorable employment and entrepreneurial environment, local authorities said.

The figure marks an annual increase of 1.07 percent, according to the region's human resources and social security department.

Xinjiang's employment market remained stable with the registered urban unemployment rate dropping to 3.14 percent at the end of 2019.

The autonomous region has implemented a string of supportive measures to boost employment, such as providing loans and subsidies and cutting taxes for those who set up small and micro-enterprises or are engaged in self-employed business.

Home to dozens of ethnic groups, Xinjiang occupies one-sixth of China's territory.

Creating jobs has been a top priority for Xinjiang to enhance people's wellbeing and fight poverty. Official statistics showed that a total of 645,000 people were estimated to have cast off poverty in the autonomous region in 2019.