• 28
  • July
    2011

To the potential detriment of many who are unemployed, a number of prospective employers may be engaged in discrimination against those who are not currently working. Discrimination in online advertising is affecting unemployed people throughout San Francisco.

In a study that was released this week, the National Employment Law Project reported that it tracked more than 150 ads soliciting potential employment. Of those ads, 125 of them specifically mentioned the names of the companies doing the hiring. The report showed that a significant number of the ads carried a requirement that persons applying for the positions must already be employed or, in some cases, have been recently separated from a job.

As examples, the study cites a restaurant chain that is looking to hire new general managers requires that interested individuals already have a job. In another case, a real estate firm advertising for a senior accountant stated that applicants had to either be currently employed or have been recently employed.

When approached about the requirement, a spokesperson for the real estate company indicated the ad was not designed to be discriminatory, but rather it was intended to identify a candidate with senior level skills in accounting. The spokesperson further added that his organization has been involved in the hiring of people who are unemployed.

To complete its research, the National Employment Law Project reviewed employment ads posted on a number of national websites include CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster and Craigslist.

A new legislative effort known as the Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 is currently moving through the U.S. Congress. If it passes, it would prohibit employers or employment agencies from refusing to consider candidates for open positions just because they are not currently employed.

Source: Sun Sentinel, "Discrimination against unemployed continues in online ad postings, study says," Marcia Heroux Pounds, 12 July 2011