Most applicants travel to the call for public service exams
Last weekend, a total of 160,134 individuals were summoned by the Ministry of Finance and Public Services for the selective processes that underpin the public employment call, covering quotas offered through the Public Employment Proposals (OEP) for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. This marks the first phase of the appeal, set to unfold over Saturday and Sunday, with exams organized in multiple cities including A Coruña, Alicante, Álava, Asturias, Badajoz, Barcelona, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, the Balearic Islands, Las Palmas, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia, Pontevedra, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Sevilla, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid, and Zaragoza.
Madrid hosts the largest contingent of examinees, with 44,017 registered participants. Sevilla follows with 10,880, Valladolid with 10,283, Valencia with 8,635, and Málaga with 8,468. In Murcia, 7,923 candidates attend; Granada records 7,011; Las Palmas 6,735; Barcelona 5,583; and Alicante 5,212. The distribution reflects a broad interest in the public administration openings across the country, underscoring the high demand for stable public sector careers.
The body attracting the highest volume of applications is the General Administrative Body of State Administration, which called 66,968 candidates for 4,333 available posts. The General Auxiliary Body of State Administration attracted 49,643 applicants for 1,061 places, while the Governing Body of the State Civil Administration posted 20,364 applicants for 2,716 positions. These figures highlight the varying scales of opportunities within different administrative strands and the strong preference among applicants for roles with broad responsibilities and public service impact.
In response to this surge in participation, the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP) mobilized 2,036 staff members to ensure the smooth conduct of the exams across the locations scheduled for the weekend. This coordination aims to maintain orderly testing conditions and fair access to all candidates, reflecting a shared commitment to procedural integrity in the competitive hiring process.
Most positions are on a free shift basis
The overall offer includes 25,421 vacancies on unpaid shifts and opportunities for internal promotions, with 2,088 reserved for disabled applicants, representing 7.6 percent of the total. Of these disability placements, 1,533 are for general disabilities and 555 for mental disabilities, demonstrating a conscious effort to promote inclusive hiring within the public sector.
The breakdown by corps shows 13,157 vacancies in the corps division, including 6,474 in the General Administrative Body, 4,086 in the Civil Administration Governing Body, and 2,097 in the General Auxiliary Corps. Additional roles include 2,352 for AGE’s Associate Computer Technicians and 1,440 for entry into the Systems and Computer Management Association, illustrating a broad spectrum of technical and administrative paths within the state administration.
The ministry, under the leadership of María Jesús Montero, notes that the examinations will be guided by a refreshed model designed to attract talent to the public administrations and to guarantee high-quality public service for citizens. A decentralization policy has been introduced and piloted in the 21 provinces mentioned, signaling a shift toward more localized administration and greater accessibility for applicants in different regions.
Overall, the latest wave of openings adds to a substantial expansion of public sector opportunities over recent years. The government has opened more than 183,443 places in the last five years under the administration of Pedro Sánchez, a figure that nearly triples the 63,394 openings offered in the preceding five years. Between 2018 and 2022 alone, the public sector recorded the creation of 169,734 positions, underscoring a strong push to widen public employment and enhance administrative capacity for citizens. Source attribution: Ministry of Finance and Public Services, INAP, and related government announcements.