Obama’s Jobs Bill Proposes Protecting Jobless Against Hiring Bias

President Obama’s jobs bill would prohibit employers from discriminating against job applicants because they are unemployed, making it “an unlawful employment practice” if a business with 15 or more employees refused to hire a person “because of the individual’s status as unemployed.” The bill would essentially add the unemployed to the list of “protected classes” under existing employment discrimination laws, entitling them to sue and recover damages along with those who allege discrimination based on their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. However, key Republicans warn that the bill would expose employers to a barrage of lawsuits, or worse, create a chilling effect on hiring staff whereby “no unemployed candidates will be considered.”

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