Big Companies Join Obama in Initiative to Help Long-Term Unemployed
Source: NY Times
WASHINGTON President Obama has persuaded some of the nations largest companies, including Walmart, Apple, General Motors and Ford, to revamp their hiring practices to avoid discriminating against applicants who have been out of work for a long stretch of time.
Mr. Obama hosted a group of corporate chief executives at the White House on Friday to highlight those efforts and the use of presidential persuasion to help the jobless find work. In all, White House officials said, about 300 businesses have agreed to new hiring policies, including 21 of the nations 50 largest companies and 47 of the top 200.
Folks whove been unemployed the longest often have the toughest time getting back to work, Mr. Obama said at the White House event. Its a cruel catch-22 the longer youre unemployed, the more unemployable you may seem. Now this is an illusion, but its one that, unfortunately, we know statistically is happening out there.
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Just because youve been out of work for a while does not mean that you are not a hard worker, Mr. Obama said. Just means you had bad luck or you were in the wrong industry or you lived in a region of the country thats catching up a little slower than others in the recovery.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/us/politics/big-companies-join-obama-in-initiative-to-help-long-term-unemployed.html
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