On March 21, the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics released data indicating a positive economic trend for January and February. The province's economy shows promising development at the start of this year.

In the first two months, the industrial added value of enterprises above the designated size in Shanxi increased by 6.4 percent year-on-year, 0.5 percentage points higher than the national average. Fixed asset investment grew 7.3 percent year-on-year, 3.2 percentage points higher than the national average. Retail sales increased by 4.7 percent year-on-year, 0.7 percentage points higher than the national average.

Investment in high-tech industries saw rapid growth, with increased support for technological innovation and a shift towards mid- to high-end industrial structures. In the first two months, investment in high-tech industries within the province grew by 13.4 percent year-on-year, with high-tech manufacturing investment increasing by 27.5 percent.

From January to February, private investment also showed significant vitality. It grew 9.6 percent year-on-year, increased by 7.9 percentage points compared to last year, and contributed 64.5 percent to the total investment.

Efforts to support business entities in creating more jobs and enhancing employment quality resulted in stable employment. In the first two months, 55,000 new urban jobs were created, achieving 12.2 percent of the annual target.

Expenditure in key livelihood areas grew rapidly. In the first two months, the province's livelihood expenditures reached 72.79 billion yuan ($10.03 billion), accounting for 81.8 percent of the general public budget expenditure. Education spending increased by 19.3 percent, and urban and rural community spending grew by 21.8 percent.