Indian state posts job advert … and receives 2.3 million responses
Holding interviews for that many people would take four years
When a northern Indian state announced a few hundred job openings for low-level office workers who run errands and make tea, the response was staggering.
About 2.3 million people applied for the 368 jobs with the government of Uttar Pradesh. Hundreds of candidates with doctorates and other advanced degrees applied for the jobs that pay about 16,000 rupees (HK$1,886) a month and require a fifth-grade education.
The massive number seeking the menial jobs reflects high unemployment levels in the state – India’s most populous – and across much of the country.
Senior administrative officer Prabhat Mittal said on Friday that the state government would conduct a written exam to screen the applicants because interviewing all of them would take four years.
“This is astoundingly high number of applicants,” senior government officer Alok Ranjan said.
“This reflects the condition of job market in India and shows desperation of the youth who despite being highly educated is ready to do a job where he has to run errands and wash tea cups and saucers,” he added.
