BEIJING -- More than 15,800 civil servants were transferred, given early retirement or were simply fired from overstaffed departments last year, the Communist Party of China Organization Department revealed Monday.

About 40,000 officials in China at or above deputy county head level were deemed surplus to requirements last year, and the remaining 25,000 are still waiting to be "handled", according to the organization department statement.

The department began dealing with the overstaffing problem last January, with many superfluous officials simply dismissed. Some were asked to retire, others transferred to vacant posts in other departments.

No new officials can be appointed in overstaffed departments before the current surplus has been eliminated.

The department promised to root out the overstaffing problem and other violations such as ad-hoc promotions and the illegal creation of posts without any clear function within around three years.