Employers are desperate to recruit hundreds of thousands of workers who seemingly have vanished from the workforce. People with criminal histories represent a large pool of labor that could fill the gap. So why aren’t more managers hiring them?
3 Myths About Hiring People with Criminal Records
Why employers should embrace fair-chance hiring practices.
December 13, 2023
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Summary.
Research suggests that generalized fears about hiring people with a criminal history — such as fear they’ll commit another crime — are tough to square with the facts. An expansion of what’s often called “second-chance” or “fair-chance” hiring could drive a triple win for the U.S. economy: Employers get the workers they need, people with convictions get jobs they need, and costs to society decline with the lower rates of re-offending that are associated with holding a job. To get there, employers need to recognize some of the myths that impede progress.