Over 577,000 applied for government jobs in one year, only 6% passed

By The Inspirer.

The Public Service Commission revealed that out of 2,790 job positions advertised in government, over 577,000 applicants showed interest in securing these jobs, but the number of those who ultimately competed for them significantly decreased.

Most students focus on securing government jobs, although modern education is increasingly incorporating practical skills to help students create their own jobs.

In its 2023/2024 report presented to both chambers of the Parliament on October 23, 2024, the Public Service Commission highlighted that over 577,000 people applied for the 2,970 job positions advertised, but only 382,000 applicants (62%) met the requirements.

The data shows that 91,820 individuals participated in the job competition across various sectors, accounting for 24% of those who met the criteria. However, only 5,781 people were successful, representing just 6.3%.

Of those who passed, 40% were immediately employed, while 52% were placed on a waiting list. Meanwhile, 5.6% passed but declined the job offer.

Deputy Uwababyeyi Jeannette expressed concerns over the large number of candidates competing for government jobs, with only a few being successful.

She said, “It’s evident that very few pass the exams, with only 5,700 succeeding out of over 91,000 participants. We wondered if this is due to the lack of knowledge among the candidates or if the exams are too difficult. Have you analyzed the issues in the tests and discussions, and what have you found to be the problem?”

Barnabé Muhire Sebagabo, the Interim Chairperson of the National Commission for Public Service, explained that many people apply for jobs even when they don’t meet the requirements.

He said, “Some people apply without having the necessary diploma. They submit documents indicating they graduated from a university, but in reality, they haven’t completed their final thesis or their studies. Often, these individuals don’t meet the qualifications.”

He added that those who don’t secure a job should not be considered failures because the passing mark is set at 70%, unlike regular exams where the pass mark is 50%.

He explained, “The passing mark is 70%. We can’t say those who didn’t pass failed because the benchmark is higher. The job test is not like regular exams where a 50% mark is a pass; this can go up to 80% depending on the demands of the position.”

He confirmed that although some people refuse to take the tests due to the distance or other reasons, “we always find more than enough candidates to fill the positions, so there is no shortage of applicants.”

Sebagabo also noted that in the past, very few people were hired from the waiting list, with only about 200 people recruited in 2021/2022. However, in 2022/2023, 625 people were hired from that list.

The Public Service Commission emphasized that government institutions are required to first consider candidates from the waiting list before announcing new competitions for job positions.

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