Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently joined the list of companies in the United States pledging to end discrimination against the long-term unemployed. Other corporations who have joined the pledge include Walmart, Boeing, and Ford. The pledge makes employers promise not to overlook potential employees because of their long-term unemployment status.
Apple’s makes the pledge
The fact Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) took part of this pledge is a sign that the iPhone maker is strongly committed to make the economy a better place. How and when this will take place remains to be seen. The initiative is still in the early phase and there is a lot more to plan for.
This initiative was started by President Barack Obama as an effort to get more Americans employed. Today, Obama plans on hosting a group with chief executives to kick-start the initiative. According to White House officials, close to 300 businesses agreed to the new hiring policies. This includes 21 of the 50 largest companies and 47 of the top 200.
How the initiative will help
In a recent interview with CNN’s Jake Trapper, President Obama explained, “We know that one of the biggest problems right now in the jobs market is the long-term unemployed. Folks are looking at that gap in the résumé and they’re weeding them out before these folks even get a chance for an interview. Do not screen people out of the hiring process just because they’ve been out of work for a long time.”
The deep recession had a negative effect on the economy and many are still suffering from the ripples in the pond. Although overall employment numbers have since rebounded, unemployment rates for the chronically unemployed are still high. Although White House officials didn’t offer an estimate as to just how many people could be helped by the initiative, it seems promising.
