5 States Challenge Employer Credit Checks

In light of the story I posted this morning (link here), this one makes for a good companion. Several states are trying to prevent or restrict employers from using credit reports to screen people for employment purposes. From the USA Today (hat tip Joe): About 43% of U.S. employers check job applicants for overdue payments on anything from mortgages and rent to credit cards and student loans, according to the Society for Human Resource Management and security consultant Kroll. That’s up from 36% in 2004, a Kroll survey found.But the checks are under fire from some lawmakers who say needy and trustworthy people are being shut out of jobs — at a time when the economy is bad and hiring is severely cut back.”It’s almost like being forever sentenced to debtors’ prison,” said Hawaii state Rep. Marcus Oshiro, a Democrat.