Next month, New York City job seekers will no longer have to provide their salary history to city agencies when applying for a job.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) last week issued an executive order forbidding government agencies from asking job seekers questions regarding salary history. The policy, which will go into effect in December, also forbids government agencies from looking for public records containing information on prior compensation. Agencies can only inquire after the fact to verify previous employment.
If employers base job seekers’ salaries based on their previous earnings, women and minorities will continue to be underpaid when compared to white males. By eliminating salary history information, all job seekers are more likely to begin on an even playing field.
