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Young Chinese seeking better work-life balance: survey

Xinhua, July 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

A survey has found that nearly three-quarters of young Chinese are looking for a better work-life balance.

More than 73 percent of the 2,001 respondents polled by China Youth Daily gave this answer, according to survey results published in the newspaper on Friday.

Sixty-seven percent of them said they usually watch TV after a day's work, while doing housework, spending time with their families, sports, shopping, reading and partying were other popular ways of spending time outside work, the survey showed.

Fifty-three percent of the respondents were born in the 1980s, 22 percent in the 1990s, 18 percent in the 1970s and 0.2 percent in the 2000s.

Xiang Weizhou, a designer in a startup company, had grand plans to learn more about software design after work, only to give up two weeks later.

"I studied one day and then rested the next day, since I felt too exhausted to open my book after work. On weekends, I usually play computer games," China Youth Daily quoted Xiang as saying.

About thirty percent of the respondents said they regretted spending too much time on recreation after work.

Wei Yang, a civil servant in the eastern city of Nanjing, believes entertainment is a must for young people nowadays.

"Working overtime is so common for young people. It would be too tiring to study after working for so long. We need entertainment," Wei told Xinhua.

For Wen Jiayan, a novice reporter with Vista Magazine, flexible work hours seem to be a solution to the problem. She left an Internet company for the magazine to strike a better balance between work and life.

"I love my job because I can plan my time in a flexible manner so that I will have time for reading and watching movies at home," Wen said.

Xiong Bingqi, vice president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said career plans vary among young Chinese people.

"Every career decision should be made based on one's life goals, capabilities and strengths," Xiong told Xinhua. "The best choice is the one that suits you. The last thing you should do is follow the herd." Endi