Job-seekers beware — whether you're applying to do maintenance work in Denver, telephone tech support in Littleton, plumbing in Fort Collins, work as a home care aide in Aurora, or even just scoop frozen yogurt in Colorado Springs — there's one qualification you'll need regardless of your skills or ability to do the job: good credit.
All of the positions above were advertised on Craigslist as requiring a credit check for employment. That means Coloradans who have poor credit due to unexpected medical expenses, a nasty divorce, or simply difficulty keeping up with bills after being laid off may never have a shot at a job they are perfectly qualified for.
Victims of identity theft and people who have commonplace errors on their credit reports could be similarly shut out. With more than 214,000 Colorado residents out of work, credit checks are a barrier to employment that no one can afford.
Employment credit checks leave many job-seekers caught in a painful Catch-22: they can't get a job because of damaged credit, but can't escape debt and improve their credit because they cannot find work.
