Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has recruited about 12,300 civil servants at grassroots level in the past six years, said local authorities on Wednesday.

According to Yang Yong, Party chief of the regional human resources and social security department, Xinjiang has lowered its threshold for civil servants recruitment since 2009, and set up special posts in less developed areas and the southern part, employing more workers, farmers, community staff and village heads. Governments also recruited graduates from police schools.

"In recent years, we have been obsessed with problems like civil servant shortage and lack of professionals," he said. The situation is especially serious in the southern part of the region.

A total of 7,320 civil servants were employed last year in Xinjiang, including 83 percent at grassroots level. Among these posts 36 percent were especially for people from ethnic minorities. Endi