Several Chinese trade unions have issued directives instructing companies to stop asking female job seekers about their marital and childbearing status, marking a rare official push against hiring discrimination that has long plagued women in the workforce. The move comes as women, increasingly aware of workplace biases, resist state efforts to boost the country’s declining birth rate.
The notices, issued by trade unions in Hunan, Shenzhen, and Qinghai, explicitly warn employers against practices that disproportionately disadvantage women during hiring.
“Employers shall not further inquire or investigate the marriage and childbearing status of female job applicants,” read the notice from the Hunan Federation of Trade Unions, posted last week on WeChat around International Women’s Day. The directive also banned companies from limiting recruitment to men, expressing a preference for male candidates, or requiring pregnancy tests as a condition for employment.
These guidelines were mirrored by unions in Shenzhen, a key industrial hub, and Qinghai, a province in northwestern China. While these directives have no legal force, their issuance reflects growing public concern over gender-based discrimination in the workplace.
On Chinese social media, the announcements have been widely shared, sparking discussions on the persistent challenges women face in securing fair employment.
“Female employees are expected to lie when employers ask about personal privacy during the job search process and give the employer a satisfactory answer if they really like the job,” wrote a user on Xiaohongshu, a popular social media platform.
While many employers still view women as a hiring risk due to potential maternity leave and caregiving responsibilities, the Chinese government has been urging women to embrace traditional family roles.
With China’s birth rate at historic lows and the population aging rapidly, policymakers have ramped up efforts to encourage marriage and childbearing. President Xi Jinping has personally called for fostering a “childbearing culture,” and official rhetoric increasingly frames women as crucial to reversing demographic decline.
Last month, public backlash forced a company to rescind a controversial policy that threatened to fire employees who remained unmarried past September. The policy accused single workers of failing to “respond to the national call” for marriage and childbearing.
This government pressure clashes with the reality many women face in the workplace. Despite policy changes meant to protect female workers—such as a 2012 State Council ban on terminating employees due to pregnancy—women remain vulnerable to discrimination. Many fear that stepping away from work to have children will set their careers back permanently.
A 2023 survey by the Women’s Studies Institute of China found that a third of women take less than the 98 days of maternity leave they are legally entitled to, often due to concerns about job security.
Despite legal protections, gender discrimination remains deeply ingrained in China’s employment culture. Many companies see women of childbearing age as liabilities, assuming they will take maternity leave or reduce their work commitment after having children.
Some employers outright refuse to hire women who are recently married or have young children. Others impose subtle pressures, such as requiring job applicants to disclose marital status or sign agreements promising not to have children within a certain period.
Though the trade union notices have been praised by some as progress, skepticism remains about their impact.
“Will there be any punishment for violating the rules? Most likely not,” commented a user on Xiaohongshu, reflecting the widespread belief that without enforcement, discriminatory hiring practices will continue unchecked.
China’s labor laws technically prohibit gender-based employment discrimination, but enforcement has been inconsistent. Companies found violating hiring regulations face minimal penalties, often no more than warnings or small fines.
In an attempt to make childbearing more attractive, Chinese officials have introduced policies such as longer maternity leave, childcare subsidies, and expanded parental benefits. However, these measures have done little to reverse the declining birth rate, as women increasingly prioritize career advancement and financial stability.
Many educated and urban women cite workplace discrimination, high childcare costs, and a lack of work-life balance as reasons for delaying or avoiding childbirth.
Even with the state’s pro-birth messaging, China’s birth rate continues to fall. In 2023, the country recorded fewer births than deaths for the second consecutive year, accelerating concerns about a shrinking workforce and economic slowdown.
While the recent trade union notices highlight growing awareness of workplace discrimination, they lack the legal authority to enforce compliance. The effectiveness of these guidelines will largely depend on whether labor regulators choose to hold companies accountable.
For now, many women remain unconvinced that these directives will lead to meaningful change. Without stronger legal action and cultural shifts in the workplace, female job seekers will likely continue to face discrimination, forced to navigate between their career ambitions and societal pressures to marry and have children.
Until China effectively addresses the systemic biases embedded in its labor market, its efforts to both boost birth rates and advance gender equality will remain at odds.
