The Shuidong District Urban Environmental Sanitation Management Office in Guangdong province recently announced a search for PhD-qualified candidates to supervise waste transport, landfills, and waste transfer stations. This unusual requirement, part of a broader recruitment drive for "high-level talent in public institutions" by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security last week, has ignited public discussion about "degree inflation" in China.

On 15/11, when questioned about the necessity of such a high degree for the role, a staff member from the Shuidong District Environmental Sanitation Office offered a vague response, stating only that the position would "manage related issues". The department, which had 7 employees by the end of 2024, is primarily responsible for urban aesthetic inspections and facility maintenance, and does not have a research function.

Technical staff at a waste-to-energy plant in Beijing in 2024. Photo: *BJ News*.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the Beijing-based 21st Century Education Research Institute, sharply criticized the recruitment notice. He argued that a bachelor's or vocational degree should suffice for such a position, calling the PhD requirement clear evidence of "degree inflation".

"Requiring a PhD for a university teaching position is reasonable", Xiong stated. "But for this job, it demonstrates discrimination against those with lower qualifications and reflects degree inflation". He further emphasized that this recruitment contradicts government directives aimed at curbing "excessive degree requirements for state departments and enterprises".

*Beijing News* on 17/11 echoed these concerns in an editorial, warning of "the risk of misusing resources". The editorial stressed that "recruitment should not solely pursue academic prestige, but must consider what a person can truly do, to ensure a proper fit between personnel and the job position".

This debate unfolds against a backdrop of intense competition in China's labor market. Despite the urban youth unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 (excluding students) dropping to 17,7% in September from a 20-month peak of 18,9% in August, millions of university graduates enter the workforce annually, intensifying the struggle for jobs. A notable incident in May involved a gas company in Sichuan province, which drew public attention for hiring a Master of International Relations graduate from Edinburgh University and an International Economics and Trade graduate from Peking University to work as meter readers and machine repair technicians.

Hong Hanh (According to *Jiupai News*)