China’s high unemployment rate has driven a surge in the number of people applying to become government officials, reaching a historic high. Recently, in Tianjin’s Heping District, the annual public recruitment for career positions in 2025 revealed a unique job opening that required undergraduate students to participate in the maintenance of sewage systems, including handling feces and oil pollution. Surprisingly, 294 individuals applied for this demanding position, sparking discussions among netizens.
On December 19th, a netizen took to social media to share the recruitment plan for job positions in Tianjin’s Heping District for 2025. The plan included a role involving the maintenance of sewage systems, including handling feces and oil pollution, with a requirement of a bachelor’s degree or higher. The netizen expressed incredulity, questioning why so many individuals would apply for such a physically demanding job.
According to Jinri News, the recruitment announcement for the 2025 career positions in Tianjin’s Heping District was released on November 29, 2024. The job position entailed frontline maintenance of sewage facilities, ensuring the proper operation of drainage systems, monitoring drainage projects, performing night shifts, summer flood prevention work, and heavy manual labor.
The supervising department for this position is the Housing and Construction Commission of Tianjin’s Heping District, under the management of the Sewage Management Office. The position requires specialized skills up to level 12 and restricts the recruitment to disciplines such as civil engineering, water supply and drainage science, and hydraulic engineering. Applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree or higher, targeting fresh graduates.
By the deadline on December 19th at 10:00 AM, 294 individuals had applied for the position, out of which 214 applicants passed the screening, and 112 candidates paid the registration fee.
The news stirred discussions among netizens, with many commenting on the devaluation of degrees, deteriorating employment conditions, and the unpredictable nature of job opportunities. Some questioned the necessity of setting high educational requirements for physically demanding jobs like this sewage maintenance position.
As reported by First Financial, statistics from Zhonggong Education showed a record-breaking total of 3,258,274 applicants for the 2025 National Civil Service Examination by October 24, an increase of over 340,000 compared to the previous year. Yet, the official announcement for the 2025 Chinese national examination revealed only 39,721 positions available, resulting in an average competition of 82 applicants per position. In Tibet, the competition was even more fierce with an average of 150 candidates competing for a single position.
One notable case was the recruitment of a grade one director and below position, where 16,702 candidates applied for a single position, illustrating a daunting competition ratio of 16,702:1.
Prior to this, Professor Sun Guoxiang from the Department of International Affairs and Business at the University of South China commented to Dajiyuan that small and medium-sized enterprises in China are still facing financing challenges, while many industries suffer from insufficient demand, impacting economic and employment growth. This has led to many young people considering becoming government officials as a stable career choice.
The high youth unemployment rate, especially for recent graduates, remains a pressing issue, prompting many to view civil service positions as their last resort for stable employment. The prevailing trend indicates that the desire for a stable job outweighs concerns about salary reductions.