White-collar workers across China are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of the global financial crisis on their careers.

Recently, an e-mail entitled "Ten Points for Attention" has been arriving in many of their inboxes. In the current climate, it advises white-collar staff that they shouldn't quit their job, change their career or ask for a pay rise.

The e-mail might be a joke. But, Yao Wei, an analyst working for the National Australia Bank in Hong Kong, said most of his friends in the financial and banking industry are struggling to keep their current jobs, rather than looking for a new one.