Bad Credit and Low Credit Scores May Prevent Employment

Bad Credit May Be Preventing Job Seekers From Finding Work

PHOENIX, AZ--(April 19, 2010) - (LSI) - In this tough economy, the last thing a jobless person needs is another roadblock to employment. In a study done by Society for Human Resource Management, data reveals that 35% of employers are pulling an applicants' credit as a condition of employment. If you have bad credit, you may not get the job. Is this legal? Kristy Welsh, founder of CreditInfocenter.com says it is.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) says a person has a "permissible purpose" to use credit report information if it is in connection with credit transactions, insurance underwriting or employment decisions.

Is bad credit equal to poor performance by a potential job applicant? Welsh disagree with this thinking. She argues, "Some bad credit is due to living off credit cards after families deplete the previously touted 'safety net' of six months of savings. If you've been out of work for as much as two years, not only has emergency cash disappeared but your 401k may be gone. People are now choosing between eating and making credit card payments. It's incredibly unfair to prevent someone from finding work when their credit problems were caused by extended unemployment".

Ms. Welsh isn't the only one who thinks using credit report information to profile applicants is unjust. She points to a new law in Oregon taking effect on July 1, 2010. Oregon Senate Bill 1045 prohibits employers from considering for employment purposes any information that bears on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing or credit capacity, unless such information is substantially related to the individual's current or potential job.

About CreditInfoCenter.com:
CreditInfoCenter.com is a free one-stop destination for consumers looking for advice and tips on how to repair and rebuild bad credit and maintain good credit. Articles are available that discuss a comprehensive range of consumer credit questions, including how to best manage credit card debt, the ins and outs of bankruptcy, dealing with identity theft, how to rehab a mortgage, and more.

Kristy Welsh is also the author of Good Credit Is Sexy, a tongue-in-cheek guide to managing your credit. Welsh is an advocate of showing readers everything they need to know to repair credit themselves, as many positive corrections can be made for the cost of a postage stamp.

For More Information on CreditInfoCenter.com:
http://www.creditinfocenter.com/

Good Credit Is Sexy:
http://www.goodcreditissexy.com