Bad Credit : No Job

When Connie Hall lost her job in March and applied for a new position in accounts payable at another company, she was frustrated to discover she was denied employment due to a repossession of a car and unpaid hospitals bills on her credit report.

"I understand from their point of view," Hall says, "but the way I saw it was, just because my credit score doesn't meet your requirement's doesn't mean I wouldn't do a good job."

Maybe Hall didn't really understand the employer's point of view. Bad credit is a good indicator of responsibility, and in these economic times with so many applicants for one open position, a single blip, or in Hall's case, two blips can cause a lot of damage.

Some companies have reported up to a 25% increase in the number of applicants for one position. Employers have options now, and are turning to automated systems to make employment decisions, rating employees based on aptitude, seriousness, and of course: criminal history and credit report.