HANGZHOU, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba created about 40.82 million jobs last year via its expansive retail ecosystem, up 10.9 percent year on year, a recent report showed.

The company's various e-commerce platforms, including Taobao and Tmall, provided about 15.58 million jobs for online retailers in 2018, according to a report from Renmin University of China.

Apparel and textiles, daily necessities and home appliances were the top three retail items that offered the most jobs.

Alibaba's booming online retail service also helped boost demand for professionals in upstream and downstream sectors like R&D, design, manufacturing and logistics, totaling about 25.24 million jobs.

In a bid to help disadvantaged groups find jobs, the company provided training programs through its learning platform "Taobao University."

Yang Weiguo, a professor with Renmin University who led the research, said e-commerce platforms including Alibaba have played an important role in stabilizing and boosting employment.