This Chinese City Leads the Nation for Singles in the Workplace

By Matthew Bossons, November 12, 2018

The Pearl River Delta is a hotbed for working singles, according to a recent survey cited by Guangdong Radio and Television (GRT), with Dongguan, Shenzhen and Guangzhou leading the nation for unattached people in the work place.

According to the report, workplaces in Dongguan boast 74 percent single people, while Shenzhen and Guangzhou have 64 percent and 63 percent respectively.

A quick (and entirely unscientific) survey of our Guangzhou That's office turned up seven singles and nine individuals who are either married or in a relationship – a 44 percent single rate.

“Maybe their social circles are limited,” speculated one Guangzhou resident when asked by GRT why there are so many singles in the city. “They could be focusing on their careers or have high standards for partners.” All plausible explanations, by our assessment.

The study also found that 30 percent of singles only earn RMB3,000-6,000 monthly, according to GRT, but that 28 percent wouldn’t pause for thought when it comes to buying luxury goods. It’s suggested in the GRT broadcast that younger people in the Pearl River Delta are placing more importance on ‘living quality’ and worry that racing into a relationship may limit quality of life. (Because we all know how important designer bags and shoes are to living a happy and comfortable life…).

The statistics are just the latest in a growing pile of evidence that young Chinese people are not as keen on marriage as their parents and grandparents were before them. According to Sixth Tone, there were more than 200 million single adults in China in 2016 and the rate of divorce is on the rise – with the country’s annual divorce rate increasing for the past 14 years straight.

Sixth Tone notes that while “young people have greater freedom to choose a partner” they also have more freedom “to leave them if things don’t work out.”

So, single reader, what does this mean for you? If you’re ‘single and looking’ you might wanna sign off Tinder for a couple minutes and take a look around your office – your special someone might be closer than you think.

[Cover image via Pixabay]