As the economy enters recession, the market simply cannot absorb so many graduates. Last month 775,000 applicants, mostly graduates, sat exams for just 57 civil service jobs.

由于经济进入衰退期，市场没有能力吸收那么多毕业生。上个月，77.5万应试者参加了公务员考试，竞争57个部门的职位，应考者大部分是大学毕业生。

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In traditional times, the brainy Zhu might have distinguished himself in the Imperial Civil Service exams and gone on rapidly to become a top minister of the Emperor.

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Its institutions publish online compendia of the government's directives, the results of civil service exams (based, they claim, on merit, not factional allegiance), and send text messages to the lucky few cleared for travel to Egypt to update them on bus and crossing times.

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They seemed genuinely happy for their boss, who, as if she were not busy enough, helps them study for civil service promotion exams on her own time.

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