The Buckingham

Photo Credit: stateimpact.npr.org

States across the country are debating the ongoing discrimination against unemployed Americans. Last year, the National Employment Law Project discovered that many employers had added the “employment status” section to applications, and therefore demanded that all applicants be already employed.

Advocates would like for “employment status” to be added to the list of other criteria, such as religion, that employers cannot use to hire employees, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) does not monitor complaints about this issue because it is currently legal at the federal level.

Only a few states have passed the legislation so far, including New Jersey and the District of Columbia. Oregon’s bill is waiting for the governor’s signature, while Maryland continues to debate its own version. At least a dozen other states are currently considering the legislation.

Read more about the nationwide effort, specifically in Maryland, here.