As economy slumps, China's youth turn to govt jobs; record 3 million take civil services exam

Over three million individuals attended China’s annual civil service exam over the weekend, state media reported on Monday. This record-breaking number highlights the growing concerns among young people about securing a stable job in a challenging economy.

Given the persistently high youth unemployment in the world’s second-largest economy, the allure of a potentially less glamorous career in the civil service has increased, particularly as job opportunities in the private sector continue to decline.

“After all, the general environment is not good,” one user of the Weibo social media platform said of economic prospects as posts about the civil service exam surged.”Companies are laying off employees and closing down in large numbers. It is not stable at all, so I have to choose to be a civil servant. Fewer earnings are fine. At least I won’t be unemployed and starve to death.”

The exam was held simultaneously in 237 cities across the country on Sunday, the state-run China Daily reported. A record high of 39,600 vacancies are up for grabs at central government agencies and affiliated institutions. On average, 77 candidates are competing for every position, the Global Times newspaper reported.

China is struggling to get its economy back on track after Covid-19 and the government has introduced a rash of policy measures, including strengthening financial support for private companies.

The number of people trying to get into graduate school has also declined, the China News Network reported, with a researcher at the China National Academy of Educational Sciences citing insecurity about work as a factor.

“For many undergraduate graduates, if they can find a job now, they will definitely prefer to work as soon as possible, said researcher Chu Zhaohui.”Many people’s expectations of finding a job after graduate school are relatively low.”The Global Times reported that the number of civil service jobs had increased over the past five years. Last year, nearly 2.6 million candidates competed for 37,100 vacancies.

Considering the potential risk of discontent among young people and its impact on social stability, addressing youth unemployment is a sensitive matter for China.

The government has ramped up recruitment efforts in recent years and directed state-owned companies to increase the hiring of graduates in an attempt to cope up with the crisis. However, the issue has not been addressed. Over the past two decades, a substantial expansion in college admissions has resulted in an oversupply of white-collar workers. Consequently, this has left factories facing challenges in recruiting young technicians.

With inputs from Reuters.