If you are a 30-plus plain Jane, or if you are not a local fresh graduate, get ready for the frustrations in the job market.

But rest assured, you are just one of the millions to face discrimination in China's cutthroat job market.

About 85 percent of the 3,424 respondents covered by a survey in 10 big cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, said discrimination in work and employment did exist. Also, the survey results released on Friday showed that 58 percent thought the problem to be severe.

Appearance, height, gender and marital status are the most discriminative categories, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

Some requirements could be funny. The newspaper said Beijing resident Zhang Meng, who had more than 10 years' driving experience, failed to get a job because his prospective employers considered his name to be "unlucky".

"Meng", they said, literally means "rush" in Chinese, which made him more accident prone than others.

Employers discriminate against people from certain regions or areas, such as Central China's Henan Province, because of the negative impression they have about them. Beijing residents, too, have their share of bad luck because they are generally considered lazy.

Cai Dingjian, a professor from China University of Political Science and Law, who headed the survey, said such requirements, which are not connected with the job itself, violate people's equal right to pursue a career.

"It violates basic human rights," he was quoted by the newspaper as having said.

Cai said governments should be vigilant against such discriminations because they exist not only in companies, but are also practiced by them.

One example is that civil servants are usually required to have a pleasant personality.

Director of the labour law committee under the All China Lawyers Association Jiang Junlu said the lack of related laws and regulations was at the root of all discriminations.

(China Daily)

fresh graduate

rest assured