(Yicai Global) Feb. 13 -- More than half of employees in China's four first-tier cities are single and have been for an average of two years, according to a new report from recruitment site Zhaopin and dating agency Zhen'ai.

Some 57.4 percent of 4,859 valid survey respondents indicated that they are without a partner, the firms said. The survey, to which 2,412 men and 2,447 women responded, considered workers' love lives in five areas: partner selection, love, breakups, blind dates and marriage.

More than half of the singletons had been without a partner for more than three years, while the average was 24.5 months. Nearly half of all professionals spend between CNY1,001 (USD143) and CNY3,000 on building and maintaining relationships, at an average of CNY2,181.

First-tier cities typically have more single workers as competition is fierce and there is more pressure to earn a lot of money, according to the report. Guangzhou had the highest proportion of singles in the workplace at 65.8 percent, followed by Shenzhen at 62.4 percent, Shanghai at 58 percent and Beijing at 53.5 percent.

Around 72.6 percent of those surveyed believe the main reason they are single is that they have not yet found the right partner, while 87 percent are open to blind dates and nearly half are looking forward to marriage.

Men prefer women who work as teachers, doctors or civil servants, while women are mostly looking for men in tech, research and medicine.

Editor: James Boynton