Did you know that employers may consider your credit rating and history when they are deciding whether or not to hire you. A bad credit report could keep you from getting a job. Currently, Congress is considering blocking employer access to most credit-report data, but for now it is still legal for companies to consider it. Jason Morris, president of a company that runs background checks for businesses, says employers should have access to the data. “If an employer is on the fence about an applicant, credit reports can be valuable—particularly if the job includes fiduciary responsibilities,” he says.

Consumer advocates say it’s unfair to base hiring decisions on credit histories, particularly at a time when one in 10 American workers is out of a job and lacks the means to pay creditors. They say debts accumulated because of layoffs, divorces, medical conditions, or other circumstances should not be held against potential employees.

According to Edmund Mierzwinski, a consumer advocate with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, ” up to 33% of credit reports contain serious errors, so job seekers may be penalized unfairly.”

So before you start applying for jobs make sure at the very least your credit information is accurate. If you want to know more about how to improve your bad credit visit our sister site BadCreditBlues.com