Beijing, Oct 15 (IANS): Nearly two million candidates will compete for over 20,000 civil service jobs this year in China, said a state-run daily which lauded the move for applicants to have at least two years' experience working at the grassroots level.

Applications for the annual National Civil Service Exam (NCSE) opened Monday.

An editorial in the Global Times said that the exam is also called the "golden rice bowl" because of the stability and relatively good pay of civil servant positions.

This year, nearly two million candidates will compete for the 20,339 available posts.

"However, carefully going through the list of positions on offer, one finds a laudable trend in the exams this time round. Most of the positions in the Party and governmental organizations require the applicants to have at least two years' experience working at grass-roots level," it said.

The daily stated that besides proper educational background and work experience, some posts list additional requirements such as "having worked overtime or on night shifts".

"A position in the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters demands that applicants be ready to work in disaster-affected areas at all times. Half of the posts in the State Oceanic Administration require that applicants be available to work at sea and during holidays," it said.

The editorial said that for many years, the Chinese have viewed civil servant positions as "decent jobs with low workload and generous benefits that bring with them a high social status".

"However, under various levels of supervision and reforms, requirements for the ability of civil servants are increasing and the function and structure of the civil service are being optimized," it added.

The daily said that the massive number of young people rushing to take the exam is "an abnormal social phenomenon".