The way people from all ethnic groups in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region perceive employment has gradually changed from making a basic living to fulfilling their own career ambitions, leading them to become more passionate about their jobs and careers, according to research released on Monday.

People's incomes have increased steadily in Xinjiang in recent years after more job opportunities have been created to improve people's well-being, while having a higher income has brought people a sense of security and gain, according to the research conducted by Xinjiang University. Now it's the norm for people to seek better jobs with better pay, it said.

Social science researchers from the university decided to conduct the study to challenge Western allegations that many people in the region are "forced" to work.

The researchers had in-depth interviews with more than 100 officials from labor and employment departments in 14 counties and cities in the region, as well as with workers from the Han, Uygur, Kazak, Hui, Xibe, Dongxiang, Daur, Russian and other ethnic groups.

According to the white paper "Employment and Labor Rights in Xinjiang" released in 2020, the region had long suffered from a serious shortfall in employment.

In addition, the spread of religious extremism had led some people to refuse to improve their vocational skills, economic conditions, and the ability to improve their own lives. As a result, the region's residents suffered from low employment rates and low incomes, and had fallen into long-term poverty.

"Now the situation has changed. People in Xinjiang now understand that having a job means not only income and wealth, but also a stable and decent life. Xinjiang people work for the right purposes, in a perfectly reasonable and decent way, and find emotional satisfaction and self-value in their work," said Zuliyati Simayi, vice-president of Xinjiang University and a member of the research team.

Employment is now an important part of people's lives in Xinjiang, and their job satisfaction is increasing as they see a transformation in their standard of living, the research said. When asked if they are forced to work, people questioned in the study said they considered this to be an absurd concept and stressed that they work for money, and no one needs to be forced to get rich and have a better life.

The research showed that more people in Xinjiang have discovered new opportunities through their employment, such as starting their own businesses and finding new careers. Also, due to the high level of mechanization in the region's agriculture sector, many people are freed from manual labor on farmland.