Individuals Convicted of Felonies Finding Increased Employment Opportunities

 

Los Angeles Times article cover showing a man working

Source: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times, All rights reserved

 

According to this Los Angeles Times article, "Once shunned, people convicted of felonies find more employers open to hiring them," all across the country, as the economy surges and employers struggle to find enough workers, individuals with felony and other criminal records are finding a sliver of a silver lining in the dark cloud of the pandemic.

Journalist Don Lee reports that, in the summer of 2021, U.S. employers reported an unprecedented 10.9 million job openings. That, Lee says, was equal to more than one job for every unemployed person in the country.

In response, a growing number of companies are beginning to tap into a huge, largely ignored labor pool: the roughly 20 million Americans, mostly men and many unemployed, who have felony convictions.

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