Fading Popularity of Korean Line... 200 Million Applicants for This Job in 1.4 Billion-Population India

India, the World's 5th Largest Economy, Faces Youth Job Shortage
Few Quality Private Sector Regular Jobs Lead to Preference for Government Positions
Government Exam Academies Booming... "30,000 Students Attend Classes Annually"

It has been revealed that the most preferred job among Indian youth is a government position. Although India has risen to become the world's 5th largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), there is an assessment that there are insufficient jobs to accommodate job seekers. On the 22nd, Yonhap News and Reuters reported, "From 2014 to 2022, the Indian federal government created a total of 722,000 new jobs, but 220 million people applied, resulting in a competition ratio exceeding 300 to 1."

Students are attending classes at a civil service academy in Allahabad, India.
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

The craze for government jobs in India continues recently as well. It is known that about 5 million people applied for the recruitment of 60,000 police officers conducted earlier this year in Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, 4.7 million people applied for the recruitment of 26,000 personnel in central government security agencies. Previously, last year, 2.6 million people applied for 7,500 government department clerk and driver positions.

The ongoing popularity of government jobs in India is attributed to the initially limited number of jobs and an even greater shortage of quality jobs. Although 20 million new jobs have been created annually since 2017, a significant portion of these are analyzed to be self-employed or temporary farm employment rather than regular positions. Rosa Abraham, Assistant Professor at the Azim Premji University Center for Sustainable Employment, said, "There is not only a shortage of jobs that offer high wages, job security, and other benefits, but a shortage of jobs itself."

On the other hand, Indian government jobs provide stability as the government guarantees employment until retirement. Benefits such as health insurance, pensions, and housing, which are difficult to obtain in the private sector, are also provided. Although few officially acknowledge it, there is also an assessment that under-the-table payments related to various vested interests are not uncommon.

Sunil Kumar (30), who has been applying for government exams for nine years, told Reuters, "I will continue to challenge the exam until I reach the maximum eligible age of 32," adding, "If I get a job, enduring hardship for 10 years is worth it."

As the demand for public service grows, government job academies are also benefiting. Maruf Ahmed, who runs a government job academy, said, "About 30,000 people attend classes online and offline annually," adding, "The employment rate of academy students is only 5 to 10%, but the demand remains high."

The Indian government is striving to create good jobs in the private sector. Policies such as providing tax incentives for new manufacturing facilities and encouraging local procurement in the defense sector are planned to create quality private sector jobs.