According to a recent report, a record 3.4 million young Chinese flocked to the civil service exam this year, lured by the prospect of lifetime job security and perks including subsidised housing as an economic slowdown batters the private sector and youth unemployment remains high.
- Applicant numbers surged by over 400,000 from last year and have tripled since 2014.
- Most civil service openings have an age limit of 35 and offer subsidised housing and social insurance, a major attraction for graduates disillusioned by the paucity of job opportunities in the private sector.
- Layoffs are rare in China’s civil service, earning it the “iron rice bowl” moniker, though individuals can be dismissed for disciplinary violations.
- The “iron rice bowl” is a Chinese idiom which referred to the now abolished system of guaranteed lifetime employment. After the Communists came to power, all workers and farmers were put under state control.
