About 3.7 million candidates have been approved to take China’s coming national public service exam, according to official figures – a record-breaking applicant pool, and the first since Beijing expanded the age limit for entry into the country’s civil sector, where jobs are known as “iron rice bowls” for their comparatively high level of security.
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With 38,100 vacancies available at central government agencies and their affiliated institutions nationwide, the competition is fierce, translating to an average of 98 applicants in contention for each position.
Last year’s exams saw 3.4 million approved applicants vying for 39,700 jobs, though only 2.6 million of them ended up sitting for the tests.
Despite issues such as delayed wages and reduced benefits in some localities, civil service positions have remained sought after in China’s soft labour market due to their stability relative to the private sector.
The exams will be held on November 29 and 30, with results scheduled to be released in January, and interviews taking place later.
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This marks the first civil service recruitment drive since Beijing raised the maximum hiring age for some positions amid a shrinking workforce.