Most local employees in Shanghai want to change jobs, but many are hesitating, according to a survey by ChinaHR.com, one of the leading domestic headhunters.

In September and October, dubbed a golden period for job-seekers, over 75 percent of the respondents were thinking about switching, but 46 percent said they were afraid to.

Concern that frequent job changes would be detrimental to their career development accounted for the largest proportion (33 percent); "don't know where to go" (23 percent); afraid of being considered impatient (9 percent) and credit standing being affected (9 percent).

Only 25 percent were willing to change jobs, most being either new employees with one-year experience or veterans with more than five years of experience.

Employees should be confident that job changes will not affect their credit standings with employers, but frequent job changes in a short period of time are likely to affect employers' decisions, said a counselor with ChinaHR.

Highly-qualified personnel with professional techniques have become a hot property in the labor market, so employees should make changes carefully, the counselor indicated.

(Shanghai Daily September 6, 2005)