"Preparing for the Civil Service? Not Interested"?A Striking 82% of Generation Z Say No, Here's Why

Jin Haksa Catch Survey of 1,778 Respondents: "Low Salary" Cited Most
Positive Response to Compensation Improvements

A recent survey found that 8 out of 10 job seekers from Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) have no intention of taking the civil service exam. While they viewed improvements in civil servant compensation, such as salary increases, positively, the most frequently cited reason for not pursuing the exam was the "low salary."

"Low Salary and Not a Good Fit"-No Plans to Prepare

Examinees are looking for the exam room location at the Grade 9 civil service examination site.

According to JinHaksa Catch, a recruitment platform, on January 31, 82% of 1,778 Generation Z job seekers surveyed responded that they had "no intention of preparing for the civil service exam." In contrast, only 18% said they were willing to prepare. Among those unwilling to take the exam, the most common reason was "low salary" (40%). This was followed by ▲not a good fit for their personality (23%), ▲the burden of preparation time (22%), ▲conservative work culture (6%), ▲lack of growth and career stagnation (4%), and ▲poor working conditions (4%).

For respondents who expressed willingness to prepare for the exam, the top reason was "job stability (guaranteed retirement)" (28%). This was followed by ▲difficulty finding jobs in the private sector (23%), ▲civil servant compensation (20%), ▲a good fit for their personality (16%), ▲improved working conditions (9%), and ▲recommendations from people around them (3%).

When asked about the minimum annual salary that would make them consider pursuing a civil service career, the most common answer was "40 to 45 million won" (23%). This was followed by ▲35 to 40 million won (22%), ▲over 55 million won (20%), ▲45 to 50 million won (14%), ▲less than 35 million won (12%), and ▲50 to 55 million won (9%).

62% View Civil Servant Compensation Improvements Positively

Perceptions of improvements in civil servant compensation were generally positive. When asked about measures such as salary increases and the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek, 62% of respondents answered "positive." Meanwhile, 32% said they had "no particular opinion," and 6% responded "negative."

Kim Junghyun, Head of JinHaksa Catch, explained, "Although there is a clearly positive response to improvements in civil servant compensation, there is a difference between having a better system and actually choosing that career path. Generation Z tends to consider factors such as salary, career development, and preparation time comprehensively, rather than being motivated by job stability alone."