In the near future, we intend to introduce legislation to bring down a major barrier to employment impacting many Pennsylvanians who struggle to obtain jobs that allow them to stabilize their lives and provide for their families. Employer-required credit checks on job applicants are an arbitrary part of the application process, limiting Pennsylvanians’ ability to attain employment and build financial security. Roughly a quarter of all unemployed Americans have had to submit to a credit check during the job application process, and 10% of unemployed Americans have been denied employment outright due to their credit history. 

 

The credit check process fails to provide relevant or otherwise undiscoverable information about candidates’ qualifications for a particular job, trapping them in a cruel Catch-22: for applicants to improve their credit score, they need stable employment. People whose credit prevents them from securing traditional employment often up cobbling together a patchwork of jobs with unreliable hours and pay, or they may find that only “under the table” opportunities are available to them, precluding them from benefits and preventing them from contributing to the Commonwealth. Both scenarios are conditions for worse credit and lower earning power long-term for the individual person, and decreased capacity for our Commonwealth to serve its residents.    

 

That is why our legislation proposes doing away with employer credit checks in all but necessary circumstances (such as work within a financial institution or when security clearances are required). Pennsylvanians who seek to better their lives should be evaluated by their abilities and qualifications without having to face unnecessary obstacles to employment. 

 

Our Commonwealth can open doors to people in search of steady employment through the elimination of credit checks on job applications. Please join us in cosponsoring this legislation to provide further opportunities for our Commonwealth’s jobseekers.