The Chinese county is struggling with how to attract and reward workers for difficult, low-level jobs

A county in eastern China is seeking better benefits for rank-and-file government workers involved in social work after struggling to attract talent willing to take on the demanding jobs.

A report summarizing the results of a survey conducted in the county was posted on the department’s official WeChat account on Nov. 21 and later distributed by people.com.cn, the online version of the party mouthpiece People’s Daily.

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However, the report appeared to have been removed from the WeChat account since the original post. And the People’s Daily website has replaced its original report with a shortened version that now omits details about the county’s problems.

The report highlights the difficulties faced by local governments, particularly those in less affluent areas, when tasked with managing the many social tasks required as part of institutional reform measures.

The Central Committee’s Social Work Department is a party organ established last year to deal with public grievances, grassroots administration, building the party apparatus in the private sector and coordinating volunteers.

It was established to strengthen the party’s influence at all levels, and local governments were asked to establish local branches to carry out the work at the grassroots level.

According to the Feng County report, most local administrative tasks were carried out by contract or temporary workers, including many without professional training.