The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. February 3, 2014 Obama Issues Protections for Long-Term Jobless ----------------------------------------------- President Obama met with top executives on Friday to promote hiring of the long-term unemployed. The White House says the nation's unemployment rate has been worsened by discrimination against those who have been without a job for over six months. Obama said he would issue an executive order to enhance protections for those who apply to work for the federal government. President Obama: "We've engaged employers of all sizes, all around the country, including many who are here today, to commit to a set of inclusive hiring policies to make sure recruiting and screening practices don't disadvantage people who have been out of work ... to establishing an open door policy that actively encourages all qualified applicants, and of course it's only right that the federal government lead by example. So, today I am directing every federal agency to make sure we are evaluating candidates on the level without regard to their employment history, because every job applicant deserves a fair shot." .