General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsYellen’s Real-Life Examples of Unemployed Omit Criminal Records
By Lorraine Woellert Apr 1, 2014 12:01 AM ET
In her first speech as Federal Reserve chair, Janet Yellen told the stories of three people who had trouble finding work to illustrate her concern about the unemployed -- omitting the fact that two had criminal records that might have influenced employers decisions on whether to hire them.
One was Dorine Poole, who lost her job processing medical insurance claims when the recession hit.
When employers started hiring again, two years of unemployment became a disqualification, Yellen said in her speech yesterday to a community development conference in Chicago. Even those needing her skills and employment preferred less-qualified workers without a long spell of unemployment.
Poole was convicted of felony theft 20 years ago after she fell in with a bad circle, she said in a telephone interview. She was 18 at the time and served two years of probation.
Jermaine Brownlee, a skilled construction worker and apprentice plumber, saw his wages drop sharply as he scrambled for odd jobs and temporary work, Yellen said.
more...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-01/yellen-s-real-life-examples-of-unemployed-omit-criminal-records.html
Enrique
(27,461 posts)I imagine most Fed Chairs would shun such "undesirables", just like employers do.
Warpy
(110,908 posts)The rest of them become Republicans and run for office.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)...wrote this: the RNC?
What the hell does a 20-year-old conviction have to do with losing her job because of the recession?
About the only wisecrack I can think of is, 'did they consider incorporating prior to their lawbreaking?'
seveneyes
(4,631 posts)re: "...two years of unemployment became a disqualification, Yellen said.
That's the impression I'm seeing. Rather than "unemployment disqualification" to blame for not getting hired, it could be their records.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)The prison-industrial complex has taken over most of the economy.