The U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held an online roundtable to address challenges workers reentering the workforce after unemployment face.
The Untapped Potential: Reimagining Equity for Workers with Gaps in Employment History roundtable was a joint effort by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the EEOC in the Hiring Initiative to Reimagine Equity program, according to an April 28 release.
“As our country makes major investments in our infrastructure, and we rebuild from the pandemic, we have a critical opportunity to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute to America's economy,” Jenny Yang, Office of Federal Contract Compliance programs director, said, according to the release.
The roundtable enabled participants to explore how employers can expand opportunities to good jobs by ensuring the hiring process is based on job-related criteria, Yang said, the release reported.
“At today’s roundtable, we explored the wealth of talent that is often hidden from employers by hiring screens that exclude highly qualified workers simply because of a period of unemployment,” she said, according to the release.
Workers with periods of unemployment get overlooked, leaving a talent pool that has much to contribute. These job seekers can be a boon to businesses that need to fill staffing needs, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Charlotte A. Burrows said in the release.
“Workers who dropped out, or were pushed out, of the workplace, disproportionately mothers and people of color, deserve a fair shot and to be recognized for the many skills and values learned during their time away from the paid labor market,” A Better Balance Vice President Elizabeth Gedmark said, the release reported.
