Resume Falsifications On the Rise

Resume falsifications are on the rise, including some outrageous resume lies, according to internal company data from Accu-Screen, Inc.

Accu-Screen, a leader in employment background screening, has kept records for 14 years on resume falsification data and has noticed "spikes" correlating with economic downturns and weak labor markets. Moreover, according to company data, 43% of all resumes and job applications contain falsifications. This statistic challenges the findings of many industry studies which place the falsification rate at one-third or less of resumes and job applications.

"We're seeing that the problem is bigger than has been previously reported," says Kevin Connell, chief executive officer and founder of Accu-Screen. "We're also seeing an increase across the board on the most common incidences of lying on resumes."

Accu-Screen publishes an annual "Outrageous Resume Lies" report and distributes it free of charge for interested employers. Connell was recently interviewed on ABC News Now on this topic and offered examples of the worst of resumes lies. Both the outrageous lies and the banal most often involve these key pieces of information:

- Dates of employment
- Job title (inflated rank)
- Criminal records
- Salary level
- Education (e.g. bogus degrees from diploma "mills")
- Professional license (e.g. MD, RN, CPA, etc.)
- "Ghost" company (self-owned business)

"One and a half million college students have been recently unleashed into the job market, many of them are still looking for jobs," continues Connell. Connell worries that the recent increase in unemployment figures combined with a weakening economy will prove to be leading indicators of even more resume falsifications. Job seekers eager to stand out and gain an undeserved competitive edge should take heed.

"We want to get the word out to employers and job-seekers," says Connell. "Employers need to be especially vigilant during these periods. Job seekers must know that more employers than ever use rigorous background screening procedures to vet the information contained on their resume."

To view the ABC News Now interview, to download the "Top Seven Resume Lies" report, or to receive the "Outrageous Resume Lies" report, visit Accu-Screen at http://www.accuscreen.com/.