Chinese government officials flock to apply for private-sector jobs amid graft crackdown

Mainland public servants are flocking to apply for jobs in the private sector as the Communist Party's anti-graft drive erodes perks and job security, according to a human resources website.

This was over 30 per cent more than the same period last year, with public servants now topping the list of jobseekers. The first working week after the Lunar New Year is the mainland's peak hiring season.

"Previously we didn't pay attention to this group since very few officials quit their jobs. But it's a major phenomenon this year. So many of them want to change jobs," the website's senior career consultant, Huang Ruoshan, said.

Many officials were looking for jobs at property developers, financial institutions and internet-related firms, she said.

In the past, Chinese society had been obsessed with careers in the civil service, with success rates for applicants as low as one position for every 87 candidates. In 2010, 1.6 million people competed for just 16,000 openings.

But the numbers have dropped in recent years. Last year, 1.4 million people applied for 22,000 vacancies, Huashang Daily reported.