China sees report 7.7 million candidates for 200,000 authorities jobs

A report variety of folks in China took the civil service examination this yr, as unemployment amongst younger folks soared.

In response to CNBC evaluation of state media experiences, 7.7 million folks took the civil service examination within the 2023 utility spherical, vying for greater than 200,000 authorities jobs on the nationwide and provincial stage.

Authorities jobs are sometimes considered secure and prestigious in China. GDP development has slowed from its fast tempo of the previous many years.

The curiosity in authorities jobs comes as Xi Jinping final week cemented his place as China’s chief for an unprecedented third time period.

Xi sees unity beneath the ruling Chinese language Communist Get together as important for build up the nation. That is meant the get together has and is about to extend its presence within the financial system, together with amongst companies that aren’t state-owned.

Learning “Xi thought” is a rising requirement for colleges in China.

For tens of millions of people that desire a authorities job, they have to take China’s civil service examination — which begins with questions on Xi’s report back to the get together’s congress and Xi thought in a multiple-choice part.

Here is a pattern query, from Gongkaotong, which sells take a look at preparation questions for the civil service examination:

The written examination consists of two components: a 120-minute multiple-choice part on “administrative skilled capacity” and a 180-minute essay writing portion referred to as “shen lun,” translated to imply “setting up and defending an argument.”

The executive take a look at contains questions on the Report of the Nationwide Congress of the Communist Get together of China, and different guidelines and rules. The examination additionally checks for language expertise, knowledge evaluation, quantitative strategies, “judgment and reasoning,” and “commonsense judgment.”

The state expanded recruiting on the nationwide and provincial ranges by round 15% to 20%, a call “geared toward easing unemployment strain, significantly for faculty graduates,” a state media report mentioned, citing Zhu Lijia, a professor on the get together’s Nationwide Academy of Governance.

About two-thirds of national-level civil servant positions throughout this spherical of testing had been solely open to new graduates, or those that graduated inside the final two years and unable to search out employment, in response to state media.

China’s Ministry of Public Safety is the most important recruiter at a ministry stage, in response to a plan printed by the Nationwide Civil Service Administration.

Here is an inventory of some open positions:

1. China’s Ministry of Public Safety: 39 positions
2. Ministry of Overseas Affairs: 38 positions
3. Common Workplace of the Chinese language Communist Get together: 26 entry-level positions. The division gives safety, medical care and secretary work for the highest management of the get together and authorities.
4. Our on-line world Administration of China: 20 positions, 12 of which can work on the Emergency Command Middle of Web Safety. The regulator oversees content material and has to authority to take away apps from app shops.

China’s Nationwide Civil Service Administration couldn’t be reached for remark regardless of a number of makes an attempt by CNBC.

China’s civil service examination has its roots in China’s imperial examination system relationship again to the sixth century.

Beneath that system, students would take a number of ranges of checks to earn authorities positions — it was thought of a course of that gave everybody a good likelihood to maneuver up in social hierarchy.

The nation’s present examination system was adopted in 1993 and in 2005, it grew to become obligatory for all entry-level authorities officers.

Nevertheless, Xi and different senior leaders didn’t have to take the civil service examination to realize their present roles.

By legislation, solely “non-leadership civil servants under the senior workers member stage and different equal positions” are required to take the take a look at, not senior leaders.

The president, vice chairman, chairman of the Central Army Fee and different high authorities positions in China are chosen by way of a course of wherein nationwide delegates focus on and nominate one candidate for every function.

Xi gained an unprecedented third time period Friday by way of this course of.

At a provincial or decrease stage, heads of presidency could face at most one competing candidate for every function.

Authorities officers in China earn a really modest wage.

However they’re sometimes assured a job for all times with excessive social standing. Preferential remedy contains bonus pay at festivals, higher medical insurance coverage and a better pension allotment without having to make private contributions.

Precise figures on pay stay a delicate matter.

The newest numbers reported by state media confirmed civil servants earned a median of 48,608 yuan ($6,979) a yr in 2012. The experiences additionally confirmed Xi obtained 136,620 yuan a yr in 2015.

For a tough comparability, the per capita wage revenue for city residents was 20,590 yuan in 2022, in response to official figures. Salaries differ extensively in China by area and job kind.

Regardless of longer-term forecasts of a shrinking inhabitants and workforce, the variety of college graduates has climbed to report highs in the previous couple of years in China.

“From the angle of employment, there may be sure strain,” Premier Li Qiang mentioned Monday in his first press convention within the function, in response to a CNBC translation of the Chinese language.

“We are going to broaden employment channels to assist younger folks notice their private worth by way of exhausting work.”