Japan government conducts exams for mid-career jobseekers to enter public sector

The Japanese government’s unified examinations for hiring mid-career employees in the public sector started Sunday across 18 locations in nine cities in the country.

A total of 5,634 applicants sat for the exams, competing for 157 positions in central government offices, according to the National Personnel Authority.

The exams comprise a knowledge test and essay writing. Results will be announced on Dec 25, and those who pass the exam will move on to interviews conducted by respective government agencies between Jan 25 and Feb 5 next year. 

Announcements for those who make it to the final round will be made on Feb 25. 

Of the 157 new positions, 30 are clerical positions at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare while 17 are technical positions at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. 

Workers born between April 2, 1966, and April 1, 1986, were eligible to apply for the exams regardless of their job or academic records.

READ: Japan: Third stimulus package to be announced in early December

The exams are part of the government’s efforts to support workers in their 30s and 40s who reportedly struggled to gain employment after Japan’s economic bubble collapsed in the early 1990s.

To further support the generation of workers, the government will conduct similar exams in fiscal 2021.