Dozens turn down Public Service jobs despite passing exams

Economy public sectorTop Newstrade unions Dozens turn down Public Service jobs despite passing exams Dimosio Proslipseis Relevant News Taxi smugglers caught trying to dodge SBA customs checks 13 August 2026 Dozens turn down Public Service jobs despite passing exams 13 August 2026 On this day: A Japan Air Lines Boeing crashed into Mount Osutaka, killing 520 people in 1985 13 August 2026 Eleftheria Paizanou 13 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Dozens of candidates who passed Cyprus’s government exams and were offered Public Service Commission (PSC) posts are turning them down. Many of the posts fall under the low-paid A2-5-7 salary scale, while most candidates hold qualifications suited to scientific personnel roles, according to the report. Candidates can also apply for multiple posts under the current system and later choose whichever offers the highest pay. The PSC filled 700 first-appointment posts between June and the first week of August, but a number of candidates ultimately declined their appointments, forcing the commission to cancel the process. Responding to a Phileleftheros report published yesterday on the large number of posts filled recently, PSC president Giorgos Papageorgiou said the vacancies fall under the A2-5-7 scale, which requires candidates to have passed the government exams and to hold the qualifications set out in the relevant service schemes. A large number of posts will remain vacant, he said, because there are not enough qualified candidates. A significant number of candidates also will not accept the posts offered to them, according to Papageorgiou. PSC denies any impropriety Asked about the timing of the mass recruitment drive, Papageorgiou said the process had been planned for months given the immense staffing pressure facing the Public Service. The posts offered by the commission in recent weeks will cover urgent needs, he said. He explained that these posts are non-scientific, meaning they fall outside the A8 scale, and do not require candidates to attend personal interviews. “We scheduled the process for non-scientific positions before the summer holidays,” he said. The summer break then intervened, he added, with the recruitment process due to be completed in the coming weeks. Papageorgiou stressed there is no impropriety involved in the timing of the appointments. Breakdown by post Papageorgiou gave figures for individual categories. Of 150 assistant secretarial officer posts, covering general secretarial staff at the Department of Public Administration and Personnel, 107 candidates in total passed the exams and hold the required qualifications. He said 250 posts in this category remain vacant. For the 90 prison guard posts, the recruitment call covered 88 posts for men and two for women. Offers went out to 37 men and five women, either because there was insufficient interest or because candidates failed the written exams. Of 33 technical engineer posts, 25 candidates passed the exams. For the 14 institutional officer posts, Papageorgiou said candidates are not accepting the offers. Of 57 land registry clerk posts, 45 candidates accepted, while of 29 insurance officer posts, 15 accepted. Papageorgiou explained that when a post is declined, the commission moves down the ranked list to the next candidate. He noted that the PSC’s recruitment figures cover both newly opened posts and posts from processes that were not cancelled. Finance Ministry and PASYDY push for change Both the Ministry of Finance and the civil servants’ union PASYDY have repeatedly argued in recent months that the current recruitment process for state posts is flawed, slow and inefficient. This is because the written exams are generic and apply to all candidates, rather than being tailored to the specific needs of each department. Under the existing system, exam results are valid for one year, but new posts can take up to two years to open, meaning candidates who passed the exams lose their place in the queue and must sit the exams again. The Ministry of Finance expects these issues to be resolved through a legislative package currently pending before Parliament, which would change the recruitment process and abolish the exams. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Taxi smugglers caught trying to dodge SBA customs checks On this day: A Japan Air Lines Boeing crashed into Mount Osutaka, killing 520 people in 1985 Things to do on Thursday, August 13 Speeding tops nearly 37,000 traffic charges in six months Income tax filings to switch to Tax For All platform in 2027 IPTO files investment request for Cyprus-Israel power link Paphos marina contract expected January 2027, sources say Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.