Applications for Hong Kong gov't jobs rose sharply this year, official says

Applications for jobs in Hong Kong’s civil service rose sharply during this year’s recruitment period, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung has said, with around 20,900 received.

Civil servant HKG — People walking near the central government offices. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Yeung said in a Facebook post on Thursday that the Civil Service Bureau received around 12,500 applications for Administrative Officer posts – a 34 per cent increase from last year’s recruitment. Some 18,400 applications – a 38 per cent hike – were received for Executive Officer posts. Some people applied for both.

The government aims to recruit 50 Administrative Officers and 220 Executive Officers (Grade II). The application period ran from September 16 to October 6.

Spike in resignations

The city has seen a marked increase in resignations from the public service in recent years. There were 3,743 resignations in the 2021-2022 year, up from 1,863 the previous year, according to a Legislative Council document.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung. File photo: GovHK.

From June 1, the government began allowing undergraduate and graduate students to apply for civil service roles up to two years before they finish their courses. The city currently employs 173,643 civil servants.

“I feel encouraged by the number of applications received, which reflects the interest of many people, including fresh graduates and third-year university students, in joining the civil service and serving the public,” Yeung wrote.

“It is important to stay updated on current affairs and deepen the understanding of public policies in different fields, as well as major international political and economic developments,” Yeung added, addressing the candidates.

oath-taking — Oath-taking by permanent secretaries, heads of government department and senior directorate civil servants on December 18,2020. Photo: GovHK.

She also emphasised analytical and writing abilities as well as time management skills. Qualified applicants will be invited to take part in a recruitment examination on December 2, she added.

Yeung also earlier said “persistent non-performers” would be sacked under a system aimed at maintaining the service’s efficiency, in a move that drew criticism from the employee union. Chairman of the Federation of Civil Service Unions Leung Chau-ting said the system could deter potential applicants from joining the service.

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