MORE than 40,000 people have signed up for recruitment exams to vie for 350 Shenzhen government vacancies, with several thousand of them from other parts of the country, including Beijing.

On average, 115 applicants are competing for one post and the most sought-after positions, two posts with the city's drug administration bureau, had attracted 1,613 applicants, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

Among the applicants, four are doctorate degree holders, roughly 4,000 master's degree holders, while the number of college graduates totaled more than 30,000.

Only around 20,000 of the applicants are from Shenzhen while 10,000 others are from other parts of Guangdong Province. The rest are from other regions of the country, such as Hunan and Hubei provinces, while 340 Beijing hukou holders have also signed up for the exams.

In a cut-throat employment market, the civil service has become one of the most popular career choices in China because it offers a stable income, social status and good welfare benefits and insurance.

The recruitment drive is the first since the city government adopted measures in February to end the system of lifelong guaranteed jobs for government employees. All the available positions are with the administrative law enforcement arm of the government and employment contracts will be signed on a year-by-year basis.

A written test will be held Sunday and an interview for those who pass the test has been scheduled for March 24.

Source:Shenzhen Daily