Women face problems finding jobs in China

A survey in China has indicated that women face particular problems in finding new jobs.

In a survey by the official trade union federation, just over half of the women questioned said they had not been able to find re-employment after losing their jobs in state-owned industries.

Over seventy per cent of employers who were questioned said they would not consider women for jobs; they cited maternity leave as a major reason.

The BBC correspondent in Beijing says that with ten-million workers laid off by state firms last year, and more to come if the government pushes through further radical reforms, many women are finding themselves out of work.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service