🚨 High Demand for State Sector Jobs: 17,000 Apply for 500 Vacancies

• Public Sector Recruitment: Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs received over 17,000 applications for just 500 state sector vacancies for work assistants across 25 state institutions. • Critical Operational Gaps: Long-standing recruitment freezes have caused severe labor shortages and operational gaps in key cultural and heritage bodies, including the Central Cultural Fund and the Department of Archaeology. • Key Staffing Shortages: Operational needs are particularly acute for lower-level roles, including a deficit of over 850 watchmen and work assistants required to maintain and secure historical sites such as Gal Vihara. • Current Progress: Rapid recruitment drives are currently underway to fill vacancies across all levels, ranging from executive grades downward, to resolve ongoing labor shortages.