Pamela Devata Quoted in Nationally Syndicated JobWeek Column
“A Bad Credit Rating Can Hurt”

Pamela Devata was quoted in the June 29, 2010 nationally syndicated JobWeek column, “A Bad Credit Rating Can Hurt.” The JobWeek column runs in newspapers across the U.S. and parts of Canada. As of June 30, 2010, the article ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer and News Around The World Today. The article discussed how a job candidate’s credit report can impact an employer’s hiring decision. 

According to the article, the use of credit checks to screen job candidates has increased recently. The article cited that almost 60 percent of companies now use them for some or all of their prospective hires. However, credit checks to screen job candidates have come under scrutiny. The U.S. House of Representatives and at least 20 states are considering legislation that would prohibit the use of a job applicant's credit history for the purpose of hiring or firing, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The article pointed out that applicants are legally entitled to review their credit histories for free each year and should dispute any discrepancies. According to the article, the credit information most likely to impact an employer's decision not to make a job offer includes: outstanding judgments, accounts passed on to collection agencies, bankruptcy, and a high debt-to-income ratio. Pam noted, "What employers are on the lookout for is a pattern of what could be construed as poor judgment, especially when no efforts have been made to remedy problems." Pam further noted that most employers do give job candidates an opportunity to explain any smudges on their credit report.