Recently, a list of potential employees posted on the website of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Guangzhou has sparked attention. The list shows that two bachelor’s degree holders and one master’s degree holder are being considered for the position of cremator. Cremator is a labor-intensive role that involves direct contact with and handling of bodies, including night shifts.
On April 22, the Communist Party’s Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau released a list of personnel under its direct agencies for the first public recruitment of staff in 2023.
The list includes Zheng, a graduate in architecture from South China University of Technology, You, a graduate in polymer materials and engineering from Guangdong University of Technology, and Liu, a graduate in Philosophy (Buddhist Studies) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. They are being considered for the position of cremator at the Guangzhou Funeral Service Center. Zheng and You hold bachelor’s degrees, while Liu holds a master’s degree.
In December 2023, the Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau issued a public recruitment announcement for the first time for its direct agencies. The position of cremator was intended to be filled by 5 people, and it is currently in the public notice stage.
The recruited personnel will be employed in the agency and will sign employment contracts with the recruiting unit. They will be classified for employment according to the positions announced by the recruiting unit and relevant regulations, and will be entitled to corresponding salary and benefits.
The cremator position is a labor-intensive skill position aimed at graduates before 2023, requiring male applicants to be under 35 years old and female applicants under 30, with a minimum of a college education.
The position also requires applicants to have a registered household in Guangzhou, possess a C1 driver’s license or higher, have at least 2 years of work experience, and be willing to directly handle and transport bodies, including working night shifts.
On April 23, officials of the Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau stated that the recruitment requirement for this position is a college degree or higher. “College, undergraduate, or graduate students can apply, it’s a personal choice. If they pass the exam, we will hire them uniformly.” There is no gender restriction for this position, as both men and women are among the candidates being considered.
The Guangzhou Funeral Service Center is a public welfare level agency directly under the Civil Affairs Bureau.
This news has sparked discussions among netizens.
“Could it be that people are coming to work in the crematorium because they can’t find stable and well-paid jobs elsewhere?” “Isn’t this a bit extreme?” “Having a stable job with a decent income is also a kind of luck, many Ph.D. and master’s degree holders are struggling to find jobs or have lost their jobs.” “Every year is the ‘toughest job season in history,’ they are quite ahead.” “Misusing talent.” “The kind of work that vocational school students do.” “Lacking strength, not necessarily able to work as efficiently as our migrant worker brothers.”
A dedicated lawyer from Beijing Cailiang Law Firm posted on social media, “The waste of talent is due to economic decline and job scarcity.”