Chinese city facilitates return to work for moms

It is also providing opportunities for them to find employment.

In May 2021, a platform designed specifically to cater to the needs of working moms was set up, offering 4,000 jobs with flexible working arrangements.

From January to April this year, the Zhongshan government also organised online job fairs targeted at working moms. More than 2,000 working moms are expected to find employment with the help of government efforts per year, it said.

Local businesses are being incentivised to hire more moms to not only make opportunities more equal for them, but also to help power the economy.

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In July, the Zhongshan government released a notice further encouraging companies to offer more flexible jobs, including working from home positions, to moms, especially those in manufacturing, domestic services, retailing, banking and insurance. 

The notice said that financial allowances and incentives will be given to employers who hire moms. A company can receive an allowance of 300 yuan (US$44) per mom per month for the first year of a one-year contract. Preferential policies such as tax reductions and work skills training allowances are also available to employers that hire moms, according to China Daily.