China jobs: civil service in high demand amid economic slowdown as record 2.83 million apply for exam
- Record 2.83 million people applied for China’s national public servants exam, which will take place next month, with 39,000 vacancies available nationwide
- Civil service positions are still increasingly sought after, particularly among fresh graduates, amid China’s slow post-pandemic economic recovery
A record 2.83 million applicants have applied for China’s national public servants exam, hoping to land positions still widely considered as the so-called iron rice bowl as uncertainty over jobs in the corporate sector has increased amid a slow post-pandemic economic recovery.
The written guokao exam, which will take place next month after applications closed on Tuesday, will see candidates compete for a record high of more than 39,000 vacancies nationwide, according to official data – meaning on average one job opening per 72 applicants.
According to Huatu Education Group, this year’s applications tops the nearly 2.5 million that signed up in 2022.
It’s interesting to see people are willing to take a very risky way to avoid future risk,
“It’s interesting to see people are willing to take a very risky way to avoid future risk,” said Grace Zheng, a PhD candidate at Hong Kong University, who has been studying Chinese college students and education for many years.