NYC Council Passes Employment Discrimination Bill

The New York City Council overwhelmingly passed a bill today banning discrimination against job-seekers who are currently unemployed. 

The bill would prohibit employers from using a person's employment status when deciding to hire them. It would allow job-seekers to sue if they believe they weren't offered a job because they were unemployed.

Mayor Bloomberg said he will veto the bill, because that's information employers need to know.

"I can't think of any rational employer who wouldn't want to know what you've been doing for a period of time and if you've been unemployed for a period of time."

Bloomberg says the bill would cause a rash of lawsuits that would hurt small businesses especially.

"It'll be devastating to them.  And this is certainly not the time that we need an incentive for small businesses in particular to not hire anybody.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says the council will override the Mayor's veto.

Additional reporting by Claudia Morell.