Nearly 1.58 million people were expected to have sat for China's annual national civil service exam on Sunday, competing for 25,700 government jobs that include a large number of positions targeting new college graduates and those intending to work at grassroots institutions.

More jobs are being offered next year. There were 24,000 offered this year and 14,500 last year, according to data from the State Administration of Civil Service.

The number of registered candidates this year has risen by 139,000 to nearly 1.58 million, putting the average chance of landing a government job next year at about one in 61.

In recent years, the hotly contested exam has offered more job opportunities for new college graduates and has sought to encourage more job seekers to take grassroots positions.

The administration said nearly 60 percent of new government jobs for 2021 are reserved for fresh graduates, with most positions at the city or lower levels exclusively open to applicants who will graduate next year.

Over 8,300 jobs are located in western provinces or remote and less-developed regions. Prospective applicants for such positions do not have to meet as many requirements related to their areas of study and work experience.

In addition, more than 2,300 new jobs have been added for college graduates looking to become village officials and veterans with at least five years of military service who are college graduates.

Zhu Lijia, a professor at the National Academy of Governance, told China News Service that grassroots positions have been highlighted in civil service exams in recent years in an attempt to tackle the shortage of well-educated government workers in remote regions with limited resources and harsh environments.

"More talent is needed to improve public services and governance at the grassroots level," he said. "So more young college graduates are encouraged to make contributions by bringing knowledge and advanced ideas to the front line."

Wang Yaojun, a master's graduate from Lanzhou University in Gansu province, applied for an entry-level position at Lanzhou New Area's taxation bureau.

"To become a law enforcement officer sounds demanding, but I think it is in grassroots institutions can we learn the reality of people's lives, and I can take full advantage of what I have learned at the university," he told China Youth Daily.

Wang Jian, a researcher at Offcn, which trains candidates for the exam, said government jobs are highly prized this year because disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic dampened the employment market.

"Meanwhile, young people in China have grown up in more favorable environments and have become more confident," he said. "So when hunting for jobs, they focus on careers that can help build self-worth."