This time, the participation rate was high, around 83 percent, with a large number of candidates taking the test.
Earlier, the Hengqin District Executive Committee issued a recruitment notice for the first time, offering 26 vacancies for Macao permanent residents, which also attracted more than 1,000 applicants.
The high number of applications for government jobs reflects, to some extent, the employment environment in Macao in recent years.
As there are few good jobs in the labor market, public service has become the job target for many young people and job seekers.
The Government is recruiting and selecting employees through external competitions with the aim of increasing or complementing the departments’ workforce.
However, the Government has indicated that the number of civil servants in Macao will be limited to 35,000. Although the Government also adopts flexibility in response to the real needs of the departments, it has basically established the principle of “one in, one out” recruitment.
For example, the Secretary of Transport and Public Works previously said that although there was a shortage of manpower at the Government Vehicle Examination Center, additional staff could not be hired due to manpower “ceiling”.
The Government is expected to review and analyze the staffing situation and real needs of the various public departments, formulate reasonable staffing principles, increase the number of staff where necessary, optimize the public service workforce, create opportunities for employment, reduce the work pressure of public servants and avoid affecting public services.
In the system, the results of this exam are valid for five years. Candidates who pass the exam are allowed to sit the professional or vocational assessment exam conducted by the employing department within five years from the date of publication of the exam result list, provided they meet legal requirements.
This time, some candidates said that the exam questions were difficult.
For reference, the 2021 “Common Entrance Exam 430” pass rate was around 38 percent, and only 300 candidates passed with 70 points or more.
On the one hand, this reflects that the exam questions may be difficult, and on the other hand, it may be due to candidates’ lack of preparation before the exam. Therefore, we hope that candidates will be able to prepare well in advance and that Management will be able to provide mentoring services to help them improve their performance, if possible.
Finally, the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Development Planning Guidelines” make it clear that employment opportunities for Hong Kong and Macao residents should be expanded, including encouraging Hong Kong and Macao residents to hold positions in state-owned companies and public institutions on the Mainland, and to study and promote candidacy for jobs in the civil service on the Mainland.
It is hoped that with the development of the Hengqin Cooperation Zone, more jobs can be created for Macao residents to develop their talents and improve the employment environment in Macao.
Federation of Workers’ Associations of Macao*
