pass federal legisilation to ensure that convicted felons are not denied jobs, based solely upon the the conviction

The practice of denying jobs to felons based upon their conviction is blatant discrimination against an entire group of minorities. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has laws in place to protect against discrimination, but it does not protect this minority group. This will have a disastrous impact on our economy in the future if not addressed immediately. A recent study performed at UNC-Charlotte shows that 1 out of 3 Americans is arrested before the age of 23. Whats scary is not the arrest rate, but that most of these offenders, in their lifetime, will be denied a job if they are convicted of the crime. It is estimated that 6% of Americans have been or will be convicted of a felony in their lifetime. The unemployment rate is 8.6%. Guess who's looking for a job, but being denied?