China bids to break job market ‘curse of 35’ as it raises civil service age cap
The government will now accept candidates aged up to 43 for some positions, a change that comes amid rampant job market age discrimination
China is raising the maximum hiring age for some civil service positions from 35 to 43 amid rampant age discrimination in the job market that has left many older workers complaining of a “curse of 35”.
The upper age limit for candidates in next year’s national-level civil service examinations has been increased to 43 for fresh master’s and doctoral graduates, according to a recruitment plan published by China’s central government and affiliated institutions on Tuesday.
The age requirement for all other candidates for central government positions has also been relaxed slightly, with the cap raised from 35 to 38, according to the plan.
It also followed China’s decision to gradually raise the retirement age for most people by three years and for some women by five years as part of an effort to address the country’s rapid population ageing.
In China’s southwestern Sichuan province, the city of Suining raised the age limit for civil service job applicants to 38 for bachelor’s degree holders and 43 for postgraduate degree holders earlier this year. Veterans are also allowed a two-year extension beyond those limits.