Pol: Companies are refusing to hire unemployed New Yorkers

Being unemployed can be another hurdle to getting hired, and one city pol is calling for a ban against companies that refuse to hire the jobless.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said in a news conference Sunday that state and city lawmakers should pass legislation against the practice, “a cruel and destructive policy in the midst of a recession.”

Stringer's office discovered at least 18 jobs in the city that didn’t want the unemployed applying. The companies ranged from those in finance to law to hospitality.

“Candidate will have a steady work history, be currently employed and have excellent communication and organizational skills,” wrote one ad by a professional staffing company on Simplyhired.com.

A July 2011 report by the National Employment Law Project found more than 150 online job postings that didn’t want the out of work submitting resumes — a pervasive practice among staffing firms.

Stringer also said he wants to see a ban against employers using credit history in evaluating job seekers because that “creates an unfair hurdle for thousands of people who are struggling in this economy.”

Labor groups echoed the need for laws protecting the unemployed, something President Barack Obama has included in his jobs bill.

“In this challenging economy, the working class men and women of New York City are looking for a leg up, not another barrier in their way,” Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, said in a statement.