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Credit reports weren’t designed to be job-screening tools. But about half of employers now use them when making hiring decisions, according to a 2012 study by the Society for Human Resource Management. The practice cuts across all sectors of the economy, from high-level management to office
In the media
Elizabeth Dwoskin
Kathleen Turner tells New York state legislators not to come home without Fair Elections for New York.
In the media
For some job seekers, repeated rejection by potential employers may be traceable to an unlikely source: their credit report. Regulators are cracking down on some of the methods companies are using to screen candidates (two major companies this week were accused of using background checks to
In the media
Jonnelle Marte
CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler has often said that weak rules on regulatory jurisdiction across borders could blow a hole in the bottom of financial reform. He is right. In a recent speech on the subject, he said: “All of these common- sense reforms Congress mandated, however, could be undone if the
Policy Briefs
Wallace C. Turbeville
Philadelphia requires city-subsidized organizations to give employees health benefits, a living wage of $10.88 an hour and paid sick leave. But the ordinance only applies only to “businesses with direct city contracts,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, and excludes subcontracted employees at
Blog
Jack Grauer
Regulators in the United Kingdom are looking into allegations that traders from some of the world's largest banks have been manipulating benchmark foreign-exchange rates to make profits on the backs of clients. Bloomberg News broke the story earlier this week, citing interviews with several
In the media
Ben O'Toole
Since the Rana Plaza building collapse killed more than 1,100 people in April, retailers have faced mounting pressure to improve safety at Bangladesh garment factories and to sever ties with manufacturers that don't measure up. The world's largest retailer, Walmart, last month released a list of
Blog
Michael Grabell ProPublica
Is the National Security Agency wasting tax dollars by paying Booz Allen to handle routine intelligence tasks, such as the systems administration work that 29-year old Edward Snowden was doing for $122,000 a year? It sure seems that way.
Blog
David Callahan
The retail sector has been a star of recent jobs reports. May's numbers from the Department of Labor say it was responsible for adding 28,000 positions to the overall economy. It's on an upward trend – the monthly retail employment number has averaged 20,000 for the past year. Considering one in
In the media
Helaine Olen
Last month Nevada joined a growing number of states and cities that are forbidding companies from using credit checks to make employment decisions. But the practice is still legal under federal law. [...]
In the media
Michele Bowman