Residents of China are increasingly turning to so-called red collar jobs, it has been claimed.

The country has witnessed a boom in recent years in demand for white collar work in private enterprises, however, Chinanews.com.cn reports that there has been a shift back to the civil service.

According to the news source, white collar jobs have been most popular since the 1990s, but this has now turned around and red collar positions are now most sought after.

With an estimated 50 million civil servants, China has reportedly witnessed a boom in candidates sitting public entrance examinations in a bid to gain secure roles with opportunities for promotion.

Recent years have seen the gap close between white and blue collar employees, while a market grew before the downturn for high income gold collar professionals.

"Under these circumstances, the red collar job with its stable income and little pressure has become the people's new favorite," People's Daily stated.

China is the most populous country in the world and has a total population of more than 1.3 billion.

Posted by Kate Griffin