Discrimination Against The Unemployed Is Common, But You Can Fight It

Ironically, it's easier to find a job when you already have a job. Unemployed job seekers are subject to a "damaged goods" bias; some employers assume a great candidate would already have a job. A new study, which will be presented at next month's Academy of Management's annual meeting, suggests there is evidence that human resource professionals and the general public have a tendency to show a bias against unemployed job seekers.

Researcher Geoffrey Ho, a doctoral candidate at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a researcher for the study said the bias began "virtually from the outset of unemployment," not only after a long period of joblessness.