China to Cut Civil Service Hiring Again as Tax Jobs Take Record Share

China plans to recruit 35,691 civil servants through its 2027 national examination, down 6.3% from a year earlier, as tax agencies account for a record share of planned hires and recruitment continues to shift toward front-line local posts.

The annual exam, which recruits staff for central government agencies and their local branches, will fill 19,426 positions, some with multiple vacancies. Planned hiring has declined for two consecutive years but remains well above historical levels.