Report: Jobless May Face Hiring Discrimination

(Washington, DC)  —  Jobless Americans may be facing discrimination as they struggle to find work.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has begun a probe of headhunting firms and employers that may have barred unemployed applicants.  The “Wall Street Journal” reports the EEOC began hearing stories of people turned away from jobs last summer.  The agency and the Labor Department say they don’t have much data on the problem and can’t yet say how widespread it is. 

A lawyer for employers said that companies turning away the jobless can sometimes be justified if the applicant’s skills aren’t up to date.  Race and age may also be playing a factor in hiring decisions.  The rate of unemployment for African-Americans is nearly twice that for whites.  And more than half of the long-term unemployed are age 40 or older.

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