Jobseekers’ credit histories shouldn’t be an issue

Many out-of-work Americans who are actively looking for jobs may find it hard to get a callback or an interview despite meeting many of the requirements set forth in the job listing.

One reason could be that about 60 percent of employers examine the credit reports of their applicants, and if one has a spotty or bad credit history, they can be disregarded very easily, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. This practice is unfair because many out-of-work people have bad credit reports because they don’t have a job, which creates an unfortunate Catch-22: They can’t get a job because not having a job ruined their credit.

Because more than 6.5 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or more, the paper says, those people may pay more bills late. Doing so can seriously damage a credit score and make a credit report look awful.

Lawmakers in Oregon felt the practice was unfair as well, and passed a law prohibiting it as of July 1. According to Oregon Business, several other states across the country have either passed or introduced similar legislation.