Chamber of Commerce statistics reveal that one in three adults has a criminal record and most are overlooked when applying for jobs. Second-chance hiring could be the answer to responding to the labor market shortage. There are benefits for both the employee and employer when hiring formerly incarcerated individuals. For starters, getting a job reduces the likelihood that the individual will become incarcerated again. And for businesses, hiring individuals with criminal records helps increase diversity; offers monetary benefits, such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Federal Bonding Program; and increases employee satisfaction since 73 percent of respondents in an Indeed survey say they would prefer to work for a company with fair chance hiring practices.
