The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China launched its annual spring job fair for university graduates on Friday in Urumqi, with events taking place both online and at venues across the region.

More than 400 employers are participating at the Urumqi venue alone, offering about 16,000 job opportunities across a wide range of sectors.

"I applied for seven or eight positions. The job fair is particularly helpful for us Teacher Education majors, since many of the positions offered here do not restrict applications by field of study," said a job seeker named Abdugheni Tohniyaz.

This year's job fair also features a dedicated section highlighting 64 startup projects by university students, while volunteer lawyers are providing legal consultation on-site to help graduates protect their rights in the job market.

To expand access, the regional government has set up 12 additional venues in cities, universities and colleges across Xinjiang.

"We plan to hold more than 300 recruitment events for college graduates during the spring job fair, offering over 60,000 positions," said Mehrinisa Memtimin, head of the Public Employment Service Center under the Xinjiang government.

The spring job fair will continue through the end of April.