"Chinese Working Moms Are the Same"... Over 2 Hours of Housework Daily and Loan Repayments from Salary

2024 Jung Walking Mom Lifestyle Survey Report

It has been revealed that Chinese working moms bear a heavy burden of household chores. 77.2% of working moms reported doing housework for more than 2 hours daily, and 28.5% said they often receive advice to 'focus more on family than work.' The financial burden related to child-rearing expenses and rent has also increased.

The Life of Chinese Working Moms... Doing More Housework and Spending More on Children

According to the '2024 Working Moms Lifestyle Survey Report' recently released by Chinese job recruitment site Zhilian Zhaopin (智聯招聘), the majority of working moms feel a significant burden from household tasks. 77.2% of working moms stated they do housework for more than 2 hours every day. 41.7% spend 2 to 3 hours daily, and 27.2% spend 3 to 4 hours on housework. In the same survey last year, 67.5% of working moms reported doing housework for more than 2 hours daily, showing an increase of nearly 10 percentage points in one year. In the same survey, working dads most commonly responded that they do housework for 1 to 2 hours (38.5%). Only 47% said they do housework for more than 2 hours daily, which is 30.2 percentage points lower than the 77.2% of working moms.

Chinese working moms reportedly spend most of their earnings on child-rearing and rent. 54% of working moms said they spend a lot on child-rearing and education, and 38.7% said they use money for rent or loan repayments. Only 21.9% of working moms said they spend money on self-development, which is a decrease from 32.3% in last year’s survey. The increase in fixed expenses such as child-rearing costs and loan repayments seems to have left working moms with less money to spend on themselves.

Additionally, 28.5% of working moms said they often hear advice to 'focus more on family than work.' Despite the heavy responsibilities of household chores and financial burdens, working moms receive lower social evaluations compared to men. Chinese media Dazhongwang (大??) stated, "Women are often assigned responsibilities for childbirth and child-rearing," and "Stereotypes about gender roles increase the likelihood that women will choose to be DINKs (Double Income No Kids)." It also commented, "Placing more family responsibilities on working moms is a stereotype and an obstacle to gender equality."

On the other hand, 23.3% of working moms believe they have a high chance of promotion or are certain to be promoted, showing higher career pride and confidence compared to unmarried women (20.4%) and married women without children (18.4%). Also, 28.6% of working moms reported using digital new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) at work, which is higher than the response rates of working dads (20.4%) and unmarried women (27.7%). This is interpreted as working moms actively utilizing digital technologies at work to counteract the disadvantages caused by career interruptions due to marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing.

Voices Growing in China to "Create a Society Where Moms Work"

People’s Daily (人民?) explained, "Recently in China, there has been a growing call to provide 'mom jobs' that enable women to balance work and child-rearing," adding, "Many companies in regions such as Shandong Province, Hubei Province, and Guangdong Province are encouraging the expansion of jobs for working moms." It also reported that "companies should attempt flexible working hours and diversified job assignments for working moms."

Furthermore, it stated, "To help moms return to work and realize the value of their lives, the shortage of childcare services must be resolved," criticizing that current jobs for working moms in China are labor-intensive and poorly compensated. It also emphasized the need for job diversity and expanded welfare, saying, "Jobs for working moms must evolve to allow various choices in line with the times."