There’s an article making its rounds, in the LA Times, In China, job seekers are resorting to plastic surgery. Apparently, in order to increase their chances of being hired in the recession’s tiring job market, young Chinese women are turning to plastic surgery to gain a slight competitive edge. One job seeker, Stephanie Yang, was quoted “They may not say it openly, but during the process they will pick the prettier one.”

Apparently, physical requirements come more or less standard in job descriptions. For example, a certain level of looks is required:

Beijing Modern Women’s Hospital is looking for a nurse: Applicants must be taller than 5 feet, 2.5 inches and have “acceptable facial features,” it says. Shanghai Jibei Electronics Co. has a similar height requirement for its assistant manager position, and it also wants someone who likes to smoke and drink wine — apparently so the new hire will be able to get along better at business gatherings.

The most famous of the remade modern Chinese may be Xian native Hao Lulu, a twenty two-year-old Chinese woman who went under the knife for a series of 26 plastic surgeries costing $62,000. Her looks went from homely to average.