On February 20th, a recruitment notice from the Civil Affairs Bureau of Duolun County in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, revealed that a nursing home in the county is looking to hire a male caregiver responsible for assisting elderly men with toileting and bathing. The job requires a Bachelor’s degree or above. This news sparked discussions online.
According to the second batch of public welfare unit job positions released by the Civil Affairs Bureau in 2025, the Duolun County Shangduhe Nursing Home is the one recruiting. The job description includes providing care for elderly men in tasks such as toileting and bathing, with a preference for male applicants and specifically targeting recent college graduates.
After the recruitment information was made public online, netizens criticized the decision as wasteful and questioned why a basic labor position like this couldn’t just hire a caregiver directly instead of going through a public recruitment process. Some expressed disbelief that caring for the elderly in basic tasks like toileting would require candidates with higher education qualifications starting from a Bachelor’s degree. They felt that the recruitment process of public welfare units is becoming increasingly absurd.
Some netizens commented, “This kind of job doesn’t need a formal recruitment process.” “It’s too harsh to require an exam for this kind of job, hurting the hearts of many students.” “Today’s university students are not as competent as high school students in the past.” “Even nursing requires at least a Bachelor’s degree, some even have Master’s degrees.” “In the future, we might need a Ph.D. to repair footbaths.”
On February 21st, a reporter from Huashang News contacted the Civil Affairs Bureau of Duolun County for a response. The staff member stated that the job location is in rural areas, involving caregiving responsibilities along with some management tasks in daily life. They mentioned that the nursing home has a limited number of disabled elderly residents, so the caregiving tasks like toileting and bathing are not frequently needed.
The response from the Civil Affairs Bureau became a hot topic online on February 22nd, with more criticism from netizens saying, “The more you say, the worse it gets.” “This job description is over the top, requiring candidates to perform management duties and work as male caregivers, assisting elderly people with bathing and toileting.”
Some believed that there are indeed many applicants for this kind of job due to the high number of unemployed individuals. They viewed it as at least a formal job opportunity.
However, others argued that this job is challenging and not something that can be handled simply with a higher education degree. They emphasized that a Bachelor’s degree does not equate to high-quality caregiving skills, and that what matters most in a nursing home setting is the individual’s character and personality traits.