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Stop Jobless Discrimination!
  1. Signatures
    220 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. Senate (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
  2. Created By
    Taylor Leake
    Philadelphia, PA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

Because of our recent recession, we are facing a jobs crisis. With a national unemployment rate of 9.6 percent and an under employment rate of 22.5 percent, our country is in a tough spot. Making it worse, many employers are currently excluding unemployed people from applying for jobs. One prospective employer went as far as to suggest that he wouldn't hire an unemployed person because he was afraid they would steal from his company.

This practice is both discriminatory and particularly bad for the country. A state assemblyman in New Jersey recently sponsored legislation that would make it illegal to post job announcements saying that that the company would not consider unemployed persons for the job. 

Please send a letter to your members of congress urging them to embrace this idea and draft national legislation to stop discrimination against the unemployed. 

Photo Credit: E. Bartholomew

Recent Signatures

Stop Jobless Discrimination

Greetings,

Our country is facing a jobs crisis. The recession has left nearly ten percent of the country unemployed and another 22 percent under employed. Those numbers don't even include people how have dropped out of the labor market entirely. People are in trouble and they desperately need jobs.

But some companies are refusing even to consider jobless people for current job openings. One prospective employer suggested that he wouldn't hire someone who wasn't currently employed because he was afraid they would steal from his company. Companies are basing important hiring decisions on stereotypes and assumptions rather than on who would be best for the position.

Not only is this unfair, but it is bad for the country. Instead of getting back to work, unemployed people are passed over for jobs, forestalling this crisis, and costing the government money in benefits. A State Assemblyman in New Jersey recently proposed statewide legislation that would make it illegal for employers to say they would not consider unemployed people for job openings (you can read the proposed law here: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A3500/3359_I1.HTM).

I am writing to urge you to bring similar legislation before the United States Congress. Legislation that barred discrimination based upon employment status would be good for the unemployed, good for companies, and good for the government. Please introduce a bill based upon this New Jersey legislation that would bar companies from discriminating against unemployed people.

[Your name]

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