Employment in Yangquan city in North China's Shanxi province in January was basically stable, despite the impact of the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, local officials said. 

According to 130 companies surveyed by the Yangquan human resources and social security bureau, 146,200 employees were at their posts in January, 397 more than that of December in 2019 -- up 0.27 percent. 

The surveyed companies were involved in mining, manufacturing, power, heat, gas and water production and supply, as well as the wholesale and retail, transportation, warehousing and postal service sectors. 

The survey statistics showed that the coal industry -- which has seen improvements in overcapacity and other positive developments -- expanded employment.  Yangquan Coal Industry Group, for example, added 866 employees in January, accounting for 79.6 percent of the total new recruits in the sector. 

In recent years, Yangquan has actively implemented the national social security fee reduction policy, reducing the burden on enterprises and promoting social employment, entrepreneurship and innovation. 

The companies' social security fee and its unemployment insurance fee was reduced by 550 million yuan ($79.06 million) and 209 million yuan respectively in 2019. 

The proportion of pension insurance paid by companies last year declined to 16 percent from 20 percent the previous year, and the proportion of unemployment insurance paid by companies was reduced from 3 percent to 1 percent. 

In addition, Yangquan has rolled out an unemployment insurance assistance policy targeting local companies.  

Last year, 325 companies in the city got unemployment insurance payment subsidies of 41.07 million yuan, benefiting 128,000 company employees. Subsidies of 4.17 million yuan for vocational skills improvement were issued to employees of 2,623 local companies.