 "What is 'curse of 35' of job market that China plans to change?")
China has raised the upper limit of hiring age for civil service positions from 35 to 43 for the first time in three decades to tackle the rampant discrimination against older workers, as they complain about the “curse of 35”.
Authorities announced the revision earlier this week ahead of the opening of applications for the national civil service exam on Wednesday. Candidates should be between 18 and 38 years of age to apply, while the age limit for those with master’s or doctoral degrees has been extended to 43 from 40.
“China has appropriately adjusted the age requirements for applicants taking the 2026 national civil service examination, in line with the country’s progressive approach to delaying the legal retirement age,” the Global Times state newspaper wrote on Wednesday.
What’s the ‘curse of 35’?
The ‘curse of 35’ is a common phrase in China’s job market, which refers to age discrimination faced by professionals owing to their age once they hit 35 years. Chinese companies have a major contribution to this prejudice, as most firms cap their maximum hiring age at 35.
Ageing populations are a global phenomenon, but the issue is particularly stark in China due to the legacy of its one-child policy, which was in place for three decades and has exacerbated its demographic challenges.
China’s cohort of those aged 60 and older is expected to account for at least 40 per cent of the population or more than 400 million by 2035, equal to the populations of Britain and the United States combined.
The trend is driven not just by age caps in government hiring, but also by ruthless norms in the private sector. In many white-collar fields, workers describe a high-pressure environment where career advancement is the only path to job security, and those who stall, often by their mid-30s, risk being let go.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAge bias in China
China is not new to age bias and the trend is becoming far too common in the job market, triggering massive controversies.
In August, domestic reports revealed that close to 80% of job listings at the popular retail chain Pangdonglai were restricted to applicants under 30 or those holding at least a bachelor’s degree.
Earlier in the year, state broadcaster CCTV highlighted multiple instances of age discrimination in hiring. These included a sanitation job in Guangzhou limited to candidates under 35, a civil service post in Changsha open only to PhD holders under 28, and a bubble tea shop in Shenzhen that outright rejected applicants over the age of 25.
 "Did PM Modi really promise Trump to stop buying Russian oil?")
 "‘Consumer interests guide oil imports’: India on Trump’s claim of stopping Russian oil purchase")
 "How India has overtaken China in air force rankings")
 "Is Russia facing a soldier crisis? Moscow casualties hit 1.1 mn as Putin calls on 2 mn reservists")
 "Did PM Modi really promise Trump to stop buying Russian oil?")
 "‘Consumer interests guide oil imports’: India on Trump’s claim of stopping Russian oil purchase")
 "How India has overtaken China in air force rankings")
 "Is Russia facing a soldier crisis? Moscow casualties hit 1.1 mn as Putin calls on 2 mn reservists")
