More than 840,000 applicants have qualified for the 2014 national civil service examination as of Wednesday.

The number was higher than for the same period last year, according to Zhonggong Education, an institute that monitors the number of applicants.

The final number of applicants will not be available until Saturday. The application period started on Oct 16 and will close on Oct 24.

About 130 central government departments and institutions plan to recruit about 19,000 people in 2014, 1,000 less than this year.

Li Yongxin, president of Zhonggong Education, said he estimates this year's number of applicants could see an increase from last year's figure, which stood at 1.38 million, because of the economic slowdown and a difficult employment environment.

"As always, a civil service position will remain a priority for a large number of college graduates," he said. "Meanwhile, there are a large number of people who have already graduated but found their current job unsatisfactory and want to change."

As of Monday, the most sought-after post was for one of two policy researcher positions with the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, which has already drawn more than 4,000 applicants.

Some posts are more popular than others because they do not have specific requirements regarding education or work experience, Li said.

Posts in the customs and taxation authorities are popular as they provide better payment and benefits, he added.

There were 615 posts that are still waiting for qualified applicants as of Monday.

Some of these posts are located in border and remote areas and some require high academic qualifications and work experience, Li said. "The country is in an age of urbanization and people are trying to work in cities."

Zeng Xin, a 23-year-old graduate student in communications at Renmin University of China in Beijing, applied for a post in the Yunnan Provincial Earthquake Administration because the job would allow her to live closer to her home in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture in the province.

She said she is hoping for the best.

"Many posts require two-year work experience," Zeng said, adding that she might consider retaking the test after working two years if she did not pass the exam this time.

Liu Yiran contributed to this story.

xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn