WASHINGTON — Is it discrimination when companies refuse to consider job applicants just because they’ve been unemployed for a long time?
At a time when unemployment rates are still rising and out-of-work Americans continue to struggle, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., wants to find out.
Johnson recently sent a letter to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asking EEOC Chairwoman Jacqueline Berrien to investigate possible discrimination against the jobless.
His letter, also signed by more than 30 other members of Congress, comes after Johnson read an Atlanta Journal- Constitution story a few weeks ago about how some companies refuse to consider applicants who have been unemployed for a long time.
“Employer discrimination against unemployed job applicants is fundamentally wrong,” Johnson said in a statement. “This discrimination will only prolong the crisis.”
According to Johnson, some companies’ “unemployed need not apply” rules can have a particularly adverse affect on minorities.
A spokeswoman for the EEOC confirmed it had received Johnson’s letter but could not provide more details on the agency’s next steps.
