'Iron rice bowls' may become relics in civil service

SHANGHAI - More future civil servants are being expected to trade in their "iron rice bowls" - a metaphor for lifetime job security - and instead agree to work for the government on limited contracts.

A recruitment plan announced on Monday for civil servants in Shanghai has opened up five jobs on fixed-term contracts, ranging from one to five years, at the city's financial service office and other offices at the district level.

Unlike traditional civil servants who expect to hold onto their positions for life, their fixed-term counterparts face the risk of losing their jobs once their contracts expire, leaving employers and employees to decide whether to renew them.