Survey shows that many working moms have no clear career goals

In China, a large number of working women with two children have no career goal and feel lost at work, according to a recent report.

Of 4,000 people polled, only 37 percent said they are working to a clear career plan after having a second child, according to a survey conducted by the Guangdong Academy of Population Development, a governmental institution in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Moreover, a rising number of women who have two children are quitting their jobs as a result of the pressures associated with working and caring for babies.

Zhu Yuzi, who led the research team, said up to 75 percent of women with two children experience controllable levels of anxiety, while the remaining 25 percent said the pressure is unbearable.

"Less than a quarter of two-child mothers who suffer anxiety have chosen to alleviate the problem through education and personal development, while most of the others feel they must make sacrifices. They see themselves as weak and victims who need other people's help," Zhu said.

"However, if they become overdependent on other people, it will be difficult to overcome the inner anxiety and pressures caused by caring for newborn babies, and that could lead to unhappiness," she added.

According to Hu Wanfei, chief editor of mama.cn, a website that focuses on mother-child relationships, the growth of opportunities for people to start their own companies should make it easier for mothers to build careers, and women should not give up their roles in society.

"Irrespective of whether they are full-time mothers or mothers with jobs, they should become stronger people for their own sakes and for their children," she said.

In the past year, both the number of newborn babies and the birthrate have fallen, prompting discussion about the introduction of new measures to further encourage childbirth.

Nevertheless, according to the Guangdong survey, 79 percent of women with two children said they will not have any more. Among all respondents - including women with either one or two children - 77 percent said the ideal number is two. Only 15 percent of respondents said it would be good to have three or more children, while 7 percent said they only want one child.