Fierce Competition: China's Government Jobs Attract 7.7 Million Applicants.
A record 7.7 million people in China took the civil service exam this year, vying for more than 200,000 government jobs at the national and provincial level. Government jobs are typically regarded as stable and prestigious in China. Unemployment among China's young people between the ages of 16 and 24 surged to record highs last summer amid the pandemic, although it has since tapered off slightly. Preference for young civil servants was given, with two-thirds of national-level civil servant positions during this round of testing only open to new graduates or those who graduated within the last two years and unable to find employment.