The Great Recession has been brutal for many, including those who were laid off and are looking for new jobs. As I mentioned in a previous post “Where are the jobs?“, jobs are difficult to secure because there are many more applicants than job openings.
Let’s assume that you have performed all the requisite tasks for getting a new job; you have a great resume, you have practiced your elevator speech to perfection, a background check has been completed, you are networking and have a growing list of LinkedIn connections, your suit is pressed and your shoes polished – you feel ready to give it your best shot. Not so fast, there may be one more thing that you need to address and that’s your credit report.
While credit checks historically were used to screen applicants for financial and government jobs, the practice has spread. More than 40 percent of employers run credit checks on job candidates, according to some research. Rep. Steve Cohen, who introduced the bill, points to a report that a third of workers making less than $45,000 a year have poor credit scores linked to bankruptcies, loan delinquencies, divorce, medical problems, or unemployment.
Read some of the comments in the above article and see just how pervasive credit checks are in the hiring process and how demoralizing it is to the job seeker. Should you be judged by your credit report in an economy that is seeing record foreclosures and increasing bankruptcies? Should you be judged by a credit report that’s been tarnished due to unpaid medical bills forced by losing your expensive health insurance? Most people would think not and that’s why Congress has introduced legislation to limit the practice. H.R. 3149: The Equal Employment for All Act looks to prohibit employers from using credit reports in hiring decisions, except for financial firms, government agencies and positions requiring security clearance. As of this writing, it looks as though the process is moving very slowly. Another reason to contact your congressional representatives! Congress.org
So don’t forget what you are entitled to currently under the law:
There are existing safeguards on the credit screening process. The Fair Credit Reporting Act—which the new bill would modify—requires employers to notify candidates that a credit check may be involved in the hiring process, and candidates must authorize the credit checks. It also requires employers who, based on the report, would refuse a new hire (or, say, deny a promotion) to give workers a copy of the credit report and notify them of the company’s plans. Individuals then may dispute the accuracy of the information in the report, as many credit reports contain errors.
This following quote from a NY Times article puts it into perspective:
“How do you get out from under it?” asked Matthew W. Finkin, a law professor at theUniversity of Illinois, who fears that the unemployed and debt-ridden could form a luckless class. “You can’t re-establish your credit if you can’t get a job, and you can’t get a job if you’ve got bad credit.”
It may be wise to review your credit report in advance, so you can dispute inaccuracies.
Some consumer groups say one in five credit reports contain factual errors. So before someone else’s mistake sinks your job, get to your credit report, check for errors and dispute anything wrong.
Your Career: Credit reports play important role for employers
If you do see credit report errors, you can have them fixed: How to Fix Credit Boo-Boos
You are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months, and that free report can be obtained at: Annual Credit Report.
In this difficult job market, there’s no such thing as too much preparation.
Advertisement:
Calling cards are still used by millions to connect with their friends and family in other countries. Consider using Indianld.com when you call India.
Stone Island available online from Camisera Ltd
While this story is a little off-topic for this blog, it certainly is an important story of how a large energy concern, Westar Energy, along with the complicity of elected and regulatory officials is destroying a Kansas family and the neighborhood in which they live. Over the past couple days I have been in contact with Joanne Evans about her family’s struggles with Westar Energy and how the powers that be are ignoring their family’s ill health and destroying their home. This disturbing story can best be told by the family suffering the consequences of harmful noise pollution and environmental contamination. The following was posted to Mark Crispin Miller’s News From Underground:
A family poisoned and oppressed in Kansas
Here is a horrific story that cries out for our attention.
It’s about the long ordeal of a Kansas
family tortured–that is not too strong a word for it–by Westar Energy, abetted by the
local powers, both municipal and state.
So where’s Kathleen Sebelius been throughout this nightmare? She was the governor of
Kansas until recently–and now, ironically, she’s Obama’s Secretary of Health.I know we all have bigger fish to fry, but this is an abomination. Since no one in Kansas
seems inclined to help these people, maybe Sec. Sebelius can be pressured into paying
some attention. Here’s the contact information page for HHS:http://www.hhs.gov/ContactUs.html
…. and if anyone has better contact info for Sebelius herself, please send it.
Also, here’s the URL for contacting the White House, since Sebelius was, of course,
Obama’s pick:http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
This has been going on since 2005. (And there is more, much more, about the Evans’
worsening state of health, and the bureaucratic/legal dead ends that they keep on
running into. I will send out what I can.)This being the Christmas season, how can we not do something to bring this horror
to an end?MCM
From Joanne Evans:
Here is a horrific story that cries out for our attention. It’s about the long ordeal of a Kansas
family tortured–that is not too strong a word for it–by Westar Energy, abetted by the
local powers, both municipal and state.
So where’s Kathleen Sebelius been throughout this nightmare? She was the governor of
Kansas until recently–and now, ironically, she’s Obama’s Secretary of Health.I know we all have bigger fish to fry, but this is an abomination. Since no one in Kansas
seems inclined to help these people, maybe Sec. Sebelius can be pressured into paying
some attention. Here’s the contact information page for HHS:http://www.hhs.gov/ContactUs.html
…. and if anyone has better contact info for Sebelius herself, please send it.
Also, here’s the URL for contacting the White House, since Sebelius was, of course,
Obama’s pick:http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
This has been going on since 2005. (And there is more, much more, about the Evans’
worsening state of health, and the bureaucratic/legal dead ends that they keep on
running into. I will send out what I can.)This being the Christmas season, how can we not do something to bring this horror
to an end?MCM
From Joanne Evans:
Hi Mark,
I have been reading your blog for some time, and thought I would tell you a bit about our struggle and disenfranchisement.
These videos will tell you part of our story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qQ8BZwmVhc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EHbDNfBgLk&feature=relatedWe have tried to get help since 2005. While in the hospital with our youngest son, who was in critical care (we believe that Westar’s substation caused his illness), we decided to go public. We are non-violent American citizens seeking protection from Westar Energy Inc., which has invaded our private home.
In essence, Westar Energy Inc–the largest utility in the State of Kansas–has been allowed by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) and the City of Emporia, Kansas, to use our private home (with us in it), and our private land, without our consent. Westar is operating one of their largest industrial substations in a residentially zoned neighborhood; and they cannot stay within their property lines.
Simply put, ours is a story of exploitation by corporate greed.
We finally decided to hire an attorney, to write Westar a letter asking them to buy us out since, they have been using our property, making it impossible, and morally wrong, to sell this home to another family. We have a 30-year history with this home. Not only did Westar refused–they expanded their plant, and sued us, under Eminent Domain, to take another ten feet of our land (just as their lobbyist had threatened to do, as the video shows).
Westar and their shareholders are untroubled that they have destroying our home, our health and our well-being. After all, we are only an American family, and the writing’s on the wall: Americans have no protection unless corporate heads bestow it on them.
Westar can get away with this because the City of Emporia is in their pocket. Nothing illustrates this better than what happened after our Youtubes came to the attention of both Westar and the city–whose attorney, Blaze Plummer, filed a Motion for Protection Order against us, asking a judge to quash our 1st Amendment Rights. This demonstrates the fascist mentality of our local government and Westar Energy. (The judge denied their motion.)
Folks in Kansas like to bellyache about electricity rate hikes, but as far as I’m concerned it’s all hot air. When Westar grabbed $20 million of federal stimulus money, we were the only ones who protested. It feels like our family is in a tornado and no one hears us scream–yet we still exercised our right to question authority, and filed a request with the DOE, asking them to investigate Westar’s accountability as a federal grantee. That the Department heard from no one but my family– people forced to live ten feet from a toxic Westar plant–is very sad. Such complacency will be the death of the midwestern way of life.
I hope your readers will help spread the word about what’s happened to us. If anyone is interested, I have copied documents that prove that Westar and the KCC are both in need of oversight.
Joanne Evans
A follow-up article was posted today at OpEdNews.com Let’s get the Evans family out of hell:
For OpEdNews: Mark Crispin Miller – Writer
Here is an exchange between Mike Thornton, an activist who runs layofflist.org, and Joanne Evans, whose family has been tortured for four years by Westar Energy, with the complicity of the authorities–municipal, state and federal.For more background about how the Evans family has been poisoned and oppressed:
http://markcrispinmiller.com/2009/12/a-family-poisoned-and-oppressed-in-kansas/
Mike’s email to Joanne is at the bottom here, and Joanne’s reply is just below. Read hers first, both to get a fuller sense of the nightmare that her family has been put through, and, second, to get–and USE–the contact info she’s provided.
I don’t have to tell you that this situation is horrific, and completely unacceptable. Soplease make every effort to protest what’s happened, what is happening now–and whatwill happen if we don’t all act: Westar plans to spray that property again. And no-one will do anything to stop it, unless we put the fear of God into these monsters.
MCM
Michael,
Thank you so much for writing. I will take you up on your offer to speak up against what’s happening to us.
Here are a couple of thoughts: Could you write, or call, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), and protest Westar’s conduct?
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/about/index.htm
Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 4:56 PM
Subject: How can I help?
Dear Mrs. Evans,
I was sickened to see how your family and neighborhood is being ruined by corporate greed and municipal malfescence. It’s disheartening that you have to live with a corporate neighbor that thinks more of power than the people it’s harming. Your city is also to blame for playing the corporate game with no regard for its citizens.
I belong to a small noise group called http://www.noiseoff.org/that is involved with noise issues. I sent them a link to the story that I read on Mark Crispin Miller’s site.
Your situation reminds me of the Erin Brockovich movie where she finds out how a local utility was polluting the well water of many local residents.In fact, I see that Ms. Brockovich has a web site where you can try and contact her: http://www.brockovich.com/contact/general.htm
If there is something I can do to help, such as writing a letter or calling a local official, I’d be glad to help. It’s time that we start standing up to the powers that be, so we can get a fair shake.
I read an article recently where it’s discussed how both corporations and government act to suppress any type of civil action of disobedience. It’s a telling tale of how we have stopped fighting for what is right:http://www.alternet.org/story/144529/are_americans_a_broken_people_why_we’ve_stopped_fighting_back_against_the_forces_of_oppression?page=entire
I was once an ardent Democrat, but I have seen over the past 20 years that both major political parties are in the hip pocket of the rich and the corporations. We need third and fourth political parties that are designed to help the citizen and not just the corporation. Until that time, I will be fighting the good fight for individual justice. I try to do my part at a blog I created about unemployment: http://www.layofflist.org/
I wish you and your family good fortune with your fight and don’t give up, since there are many more on your side than you might think.
Michael Thornton
Rochester, NY
If you are able to write the people and organizations that Mrs. Evans mentioned, I’m sure the family would greatly appreciate your support. I will post updates to this story as they are available.
It’s good news that jobless claims have dropped from record highs to less disturbing numbers. The reporter below states “signaling firings are easing as employers gain confidence in the economic recovery.” What proof does this Bloomberg reporter have that employers are gaining confidence in the economic recovery? Simply because they are not cutting as many jobs doesn’t mean they are hiring, and hiring is the sign that employers are gaining confidence. Let’s take a look at how things really look.
Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) — The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits last week declined to the lowest level since September 2008, signaling firings are easing as employers gain confidence in the economic recovery.
The report showed the four-week moving average of initial claims, a less volatile measure, declined to 465,250 last week from 468,000. The average is the lowest since the week ended Sept. 20, 2008.
via U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Fell to 452,000 Last Week (Update1) – BusinessWeek.
Let’s look at some additional points fo view and if those employers are actually gaining confidence or are they merely less eager to cut jobs, since they have already cut jobs to the bone.
As the 4-week moving average graph from Calculated Risk shows, there is ongoing improvement in the jobless claims figures, but jobless claims would need to level out below 400,000 per week to indicate that there is job growth.
Although falling, the level of the 4 week average is still high, suggesting continuing job losses.
via Calculated Risk: Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims.
Calculated Risk
Here’s some good news:
There may be some light at the end of the unemployment tunnel for some as the following NY Times article Labor Data Show Surge in Hiring of Temp Workers indicates:
Last month 52,000 temps were added, greater than the number of new workers in any other category. Not even health care and government, stalwarts through the long recession, did better….
Halfway across the country, in Burlington, Iowa, the recession bypassed the Winegard Company. That is perhaps because Winegard makes television antennas and satellite receivers, and in hard times people watch more television, said Denise Baker, Winegard’s director of human resources. Whatever the case, to keep up with new orders, the company has added 70 workers in the last two years — all of them temps.
“An actual employee with benefits costs more than a temp or a contract worker,” Ms. Baker said, “and as long as I can still get highly skilled temps, I’ll go that route. It gives me more room to reverse course if the economy weakens again and sales do finally sink.”
While temporary work can be beneficial to paying the bills, the uncertainty of any long term commitment will limit spending, which limits job growth in other areas, such as manufacturing. Other downsides include smaller or nonexistent benefits and poorer treatment by supervisors who look at temps as expendable.
Now lets look at the available jobs:
In October, according to the BLS, there were only 1.9 million job openings for 11,970,000 looking for work. I’m not sure why the figure is 11,970,000, since there are 15 million unemployed, but that what the government stats indicate. If you use 15 million unemployed as the number of people looking for work the picture is even bleaker with 7.9 job seekers per available job opening.
Although jobless claims are improving, the jobs picture continues to deteriorate since it takes longer to find the few jobs that are offered:
Americans enduring long-term unemployment have a cold comfort: In the 48 years that the government has tracked joblessness, there has never been a higher percentage of people out of work, and actively looking, for more than half a year.
In November, even as the national unemployment rate dropped from 10.2 to 10 percent, the ranks of jobless who had been looking for 27 weeks or longer jumped to 38 percent.
So why is it taking so long to find a job, well one reason is that there are fewer jobs in the pipeline:
Nationally there are about 6.3 unemployed workers competing, on average, for each job opening, a Labor Department report shows. That’s the most since the department began tracking job openings nine years ago, and up from only 1.7 workers when the recession began in December 2007: via Job competition toughest since recession began – USATODAY
According to the Unemployed per Job Posting at Indeed.com, job openings are certainly better in federal job areas such as Baltimore and D.C., but the job story is difficult in many areas, especially those areas that experienced housing bubble conditions. As the list shows, there are dramatic differences in available job postings per unemployed worker:
There needs to be more hiring improvement before it’s time to say “employers gain confidence in the economic recovery.” Let’s hope that 2010 brings those jobs to the millions who want them.
Joel Pett
