Amid troubled economic times, many in China are shifting back towards the certainty of a career in the public sector
A record number of people are set to take China’s notoriously gruelling national civil service exam this weekend, reflecting the increasing desire of Chinese workers to find employment in the public rather than private sector.
Around 3.7 million people have registered for the tests on Saturday and Sunday, which will be the first since the government increased the age limit for certain positions. The age limit for general candidates has increased from 35 to 38, while the age limit for those with postgraduate degrees has been raised from 40 to 43.
The millions of applicants will be competing for 38,100 civil service vacancies across the country, the equivalent of an average of 97 people per job.
Some jobs are particularly in demand. According to data published in Chinese media, the vacancy that received the most applicants was an immigration officer role in Ruili, a city in south-west Yunnan province that borders Myanmar. For the one job, 6,470 people have been approved to apply.
