Record 2.1m Chinese sit civil service exam as economy slows, youth jobless rate climbs

More than 2.12 million registered for Sunday’s ‘guokao’ exam, the first time the number has crossed 2 million
Applicants have just a one-in-68 chance of success of landing coveted ‘iron rice bowl’ positions

China economy

Amanda Lee

Published: 5:10pm, 28 Nov 2021

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A record number of Chinese are sitting the national civil service examination this year, in hopes of landing a secure government job amid slowing growth and high youth unemployment.

More than 2.12 million applicants registered for Sunday’s exam, known as guokao in Mandarin, according to the state-owned China News Service.

That is 35 per cent higher than last year’s 1.57 million, and the first time the number has crossed 2 million.

That also gives applicants just a 1-in-68 chance of success, even though 31,200 government jobs are open at 75 central government agencies and 23 attached institutions. Successful candidates will take up their positions early next year.

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The guokao has long been a big draw for Chinese jobseekers as government positions are regarded as providing an “iron rice bowl” of both security and money. More than a million applicants have taken the exam every year since 2009.

This year’s surge in numbers comes amid a slowdown in economic growth, caused in large part by the Covid-19 pandemic, and a persistently high youth jobless rate.

The country posted only 4.9 per cent year-on-year growth in the third quarter, down from 7.9 per cent in the second. And job security is now back on top of the government agenda.

Premier Li Keqiang chairs a symposium on the economic situation, attended by several heads of provincial governments, in Shanghai on November 22. Photo: Xinhua

Last week, Premier Li Keqiang re-emphasised the focus on “ensuring security in employment, people’s livelihoods and market entities”, a government catchphrase not seen for a while but often used when it launches policies to support the economy – much required now as the country weathers the worst of the pandemic’s impact.

From January to October, 11.33 million new jobs were created across the country, matching the government’s full-year target, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

But while the job market overall has recovered significantly from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, unemployment among 16-24 year-olds has been consistently higher than the national average.

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Record 2.1 million Chinese sit civil service exam as economy slows, youth jobless rate climbs

Official figures indicate that the surveyed jobless rate for workers aged 16 to 24 – which includes most high school and college graduates – was 14.2 per cent in October, nearly three times higher than the national average of 4.9 per cent.

A record number of graduates this year has increased unemployment pressure for this age group, while the government’s crackdown on the after-school tutoring sector, which traditionally employed tens of thousands of graduates, has presented another hurdle.

About 21,000 positions, or two-thirds of those up for grabs at this year’s guokao, are targeted at fresh graduates, according to the China News Service report.

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There are also 8,700 positions open in government institutions in the western region and remote areas. Applicants with lower educational qualifications and work experience may be accepted for these to promote employment in less developed regions, the report said.

All guokao candidates are required to sit a written exam covering areas such as Chinese politics, international affairs, language and logic. Those applying for positions in finance, public security and foreign affairs also have to take a professional skills test.

One of the most popular options this year is the chief staff officer’s position in Tibet’s Ngari postal administration, according to the report.

Applicants have just a one-in-20,000 chance of landing this job.