After Equifax Breach, Lawmakers Propose Credit Screening Restrictions for Employment

"These consumer protections are important, yet they are far from sufficient to prevent credit checks from becoming a barrier to employment," said Amy Traub, a senior policy analyst at Demos, a public-policy think tank in New York City. "My research finds that poor credit is linked to economic stress. Weak credit is correlated with unemployment, lack of health coverage and the presence of children in a household. By screening out job applicants who have flawed credit, employers are effectively judging a prospective employee on the basis of economic disadvantage, and effectively multiplying that disadvantage."