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