More States Ban Hiring Discrimination Against The Unemployed, Feds May Follow

A partner at FordHarrison, the U.S. member firm of the international law firm alliance Ius Laboris, examines the changing U.S. legal position regarding a problem that has become acute since the downturn: discrimination against the unemployed. One study has found that an applicant with no experience was more likely to be called back than someone with relevant experience who had been out of work for six months. While there is currently no federal law that prohibits such discrimination, legislation has been passed in some states. The earliest versions of these laws banned job postings that essentially stated that unemployed need not apply, but more recent efforts go further than that.