President Obama to ban federal employers from checking criminal history on job applications

The president will issue an executive order to 'ban the box'

President Obama speaks in Washington DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

President Barack Obama will announce several measures to help former prisoners reintegrate into society on Monday during a trip to Newark, New Jersey.

The president plans to announce an executive order to "ban the box" on federal job applications. The move would bar employers from asking job applicants about their criminal record.

"Each year, more than 600,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons," the White House said in a statement.

"Advancing policies and programs that enable these men and women to put their lives back on track and earn their second chance promotes not only justice and fairness, but also public safety."

Employers are less likely to hire a black applicant with a criminal record compared to whites with a criminal record, according to a National Justice Institute study. The same study, conducted in New York City, found that a criminal record reduced the likelihood of a job offer by nearly 50 percent.