Civil service has always been viewed as a profession that enjoys a high social status, is relatively stable, and offers a high income. Statistics show that, currently, 26 percent of civil servants are 35-years-old or younger. People’s Daily recently carried an article, originally published in Outlook Weekly, that was about civil servants’ lives. The examples used in the article suggested that there are misconceptions about this profession. Many civil servants complained that they suffer from pressure at work, from life, and from publicity. Many of them have to work overtime, are unable to afford housing, and face negative publicity in general about their profession. Moreover, a survey conducted recently in Guizhou Province showed that, of 900 civil servants surveyed, only 15.42 percent said they were very confident while 23.91 percent stated they did not have confidence in themselves.
Source: People’s Daily, June 2, 2013
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0602/c1026-21703599.html