Vying for a government job
- Source: Global Times
- [02:55 November 30 2009]
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Many of Zhou's classmates reported similar experiences. She said that, "overall, national civil servant positions are of high social status, higher stability and relatively good pay. And the selection mechanism may be more equitable than other means. Against the backdrop of the financial crisis, where job opportunities are so scarce, civil service is a good choice for graduates."
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences had said in its 2009 Blue Book of the Chinese Economy, released in December of last year, that China would face increasing employment pressure because of slow economic growth, and many of the nation's 6.5 million college graduates would face difficulty in finding jobs.
Sun Wei, who had worked for a financial institution for two years before he became a post-graduate student, applied for a position at the China Insurance Regulatory Commission in the belief that the position suits him, based on his previous work experience.
Aware of the fierce competition, the 27-year-old said he was applying for other jobs at the same time.
Zhong, a 24-year-old who graduated from Britain's Bath University three months ago, was among the 1 million examinees, though she doubted the standards of the selection mechanism and fairness of interviews after the written exam.
A poll at qq.com, a major news portal, showed Sunday that about 60 percent of 29,228 participants picked the civil service as their first choice, while only 20 percent and 12 percent respectively chose to start up private businesses and seek employment at established companies.
Among the people interested in public positions, 32.5 percent hold the belief that their personalities fit governmental jobs, 25.3 percent said the positions are relatively stable, 17 percent consider the civil service an alternative to the harsh job market, and 16 percent believe they can make more money in the government.
The fervor contrasted with a phenomenon in the 1980s when lots of talented people quit their public jobs and start-ed their own businesses. Many commentators believe it was one of the reasons why China developed so fast in the past 30 years and expressed concern that the desire for stable jobs now could hurt China's creativity and vitality.
Despite interest, 30 job vacancies were still open before the registration deadline.
Jobs in railway public security, at weather departments and at the seismological bureau proved to be much less attractive, while thousands of candidates are competing for positions in customs departments and the tax administration.
One job vacancy at the European Office of the International Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology attract-ed 4,224 applicants.
The most-coveted positions are those with low academic requirements, usually requiring only bachelor degrees or less, and no work experience. Besides, the positions are mostly located in developed cities with relatively better working conditions.
The unbalanced distribution of examinees for different posts is a result of their analysis of expected earnings, which is based on the reality within the government, Shenzhen Evening News commented Thursday.
"China's social benefits are still mainly controlled by a small number of departments and sectors," Su Hainan, director of the Labor Wages Research Center under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, was quoted by Oriental Outlook magazine as saying. Su suggested that the distribution of public power and benefits top the list for applicants to consider.
A 27-year-old customs employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said that he landed the position three years ago, so he gave up the opportunity to seek a master's degree.
He revealed that his monthly salary is 3,500 yuan after taxes, plus some other benefits. "It is not as high as expected by the public, and there are no rumored gray income and bestowed housing … as there are strict anti-corruption measures," he said.
Zhang Han contributed to this story
