The new sitcom Work It follows two guys who pretend to be women in order to land a job traditionally held by women—in this case, selling pharmaceuticals to doctors.

But who could believe the premise isn't so far-fetched?

It turns out the job market is so tough these days, men are now willing to take jobs they would usually avoid.

While dressing in drag may be taking things a little too far, a new study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows retailers have recently hired nearly 217,000 men compared to just 9,000 women.

Hundreds of thousands of men are showing up at department stores like Bloomingdales in New York City, to work in the once mostly female world of retailing, selling things like clothing and makeup.

So it may be just another sitcom with a wild premise that just happens to hold a larger truth.