A record-breaking 1.1 million potential employees packed into auditoriums and classrooms across China to take civil service exams on Sunday. The number of Chinese seeking government positions has steadily increased over the past 10 years as the shine of the private sector has waned. The government, in addition to many other factors, offers increasingly attractive benefits in a liberalizing labor market. Private sector employers, in many cases, offer fewer benefits, unclear career ladders, and mediocre pay, all of which are strong points of government employment. For the 1.1 million exam takers, only 7,200 openings exist.
See "?Golden rice bowl? attracts China?s best and brightest", Feng Ke & Katie Hunt, CNN, November 24, 2013