Most young singles no longer prefer a marriage in which women become housewives and instead would like them to work, according to a study by an institute affiliated with the welfare ministry.

The National Institution of Population and Social Security Research attributed the findings not only to an increase in working women but also to an erosion in men's income due to the economic slowdown.

Nearly 90 percent of the poll's respondents said they want to get married, a level as high as in the previous survey in 1997.