What is the only conclusion one can reach? Companies are looking to hire only people who are currently employed. Why? The reason, we hypothesize, is that those who have remained employed throughout the recession are viewed as "the cream of the crop." The chronically unemployed? They are viewed by some as lazy, malcontented and incapable. And worse.
As folks who represent unemployed people each and every day, we can say that is not always true. Many good people are out of work due to layoff or reduction in force. Others were the victims of poor managers, who lack the skills to lead, and the emotional maturity to work well with others.
Other factors working against the unemployed? Many companies are now refusing to hire anyone who has filed for bankruptcy, and are similarly opposed to hiring people with bad credit. The most likely victims of such financial calamities? The unemployed.
What can be done? Not long ago, TLNT.com posted an article wherein it was posited that making discrimination against the unemployed illegal is unworkable, and we agree. However, we believe it is time that our leaders in Congress consider something akin to Affirmative Action where the unemployed "workforce" is concerned. Simply stated, companies should be required to hire a X number of unemployed workers for every Y number of new hires they make.
The numbers are staggering. The published unemployment rate is 9%. Nearly 14 Million Americans are unemployed. Of those, more than 6 Million (45%) have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks (which, according to CBS News, is a higher percentage than at any time since the Great Depression). Nearly 5 Million have been out of work for more than 52 weeks. Nearly 2 Million Americans have been out of work for more than 99 weeks.
How can our Country grow with these staggering numbers? We believe an Affirmative Action program for unemployed workers is the only solution to the current trend of refusing to hire unemployed workers, which appears to be gathering steam. If companies are really so desperate for new help, there are lots of qualified workers anxiously sitting on the sidelines and ready to pitch in today.
NOTE: On August 17, 2011, TLNT published an interesting article extolling the virtues of hiring currently unemployed candidates. In essence, it concludes that new hires who were previously unemployed will have a heightened degree of gratitude, and thus loyalty, to any employer that provides them with an opportunity to be productive again. We agree.
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