Background Check Statistics (23 Interesting Facts, Trends + Statistics)
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You may have heard of background checks before, but how much do you know about them, like how many businesses run them?
I’ve been looking up background check statistics and found 23 unique and interesting facts and trends that I’ll share with you below!
2022 Background Check Statistics
Background checks look back at a person’s life for the past seven years, but they go back much further, as of 2022. Additionally, almost 80% report lying or glorifying on their resume, which explains why 95% of employers do some sort of background check before hiring someone. Background checks longer than three days are more likely to be denied.
Do you have any other questions for me to answer, or would you like to read the full list of 23 interesting facts about background checks? If so, read on to find out!
1. 78% reported lying on a job application or resume
An interesting background check statistic is that 78% of people report lying on their resume or job application, a sizeable number of American adults in the workforce.
2. Employer background checks most often date back 7 years
Most employers have background checks going back 7 years, although some higher-level jobs require background checks going back 10 years.
3. 95% of employers conducted background checks in 2018
In 2018, more than 95% of employers conducted background checks on potential employees, a large portion of employers.
However, that number may have dropped a lot over the past few years due to labor shortages in the U.S. and businesses unable to find workers.
4. More than 77.7 million Americans have criminal records
Nearly one-third of American adults, or roughly 77.7 million people, have some sort of criminal record, which is a somewhat alarming statistic when you think about it.
5. 10,000 to 12,000 people get criminal records every day
Between 10,000 and 12,000 people are added to the criminal record database every day, which means more people are drawn into the criminal system.
Additionally, the fact that as many as 12,000 people have criminal records every day will impact the job market and workforce for years to come.
6. 53% of job applications contain inaccurate details
One shocking background check statistic I want to share with you is that 53% of all job applications are found to contain inaccurate details.
Furthermore, these inaccurate details may result in job applicants being denied employment even if employment has been offered, depending on the inaccuracies found.
7. $Employee theft costs $50 billion annually
Employee theft causes more than $50 billion in losses each year, hitting businesses across all industries.
Additionally, these losses can have a significant impact on small businesses, which often cannot afford to lose money from employee theft.
8. Employees are 5 times more likely to steal from a business
Speaking of employee theft, did you know that employees are five times more likely to steal from businesses than customers?
Therefore, background checks are a key factor in trying to weed out bad employees before they have a chance to steal from the company.
9. 60% of job applications contain college education lies
A shocking background check statistic is that over 60% of job applications contain some sort of lie or lie about the applicant’s college education.
For example, a lie might be that they graduated from a particular school or earned a degree, when in reality, they either never attended school at all or never earned a degree.
10. Waiting more than 3 days for a gun background check is 4 times more likely to be denied
Gun background checks are common in the US, and an interesting fact about gun background checks is that people who wait longer than three days are four times more likely to be denied.
So if someone has waited six days for their firearms background check to come back, there’s a good chance it’ll uncover some type of substandard information.
11. In 2020, the FBI conducted 39.2 million gun background checks
Another interesting gun background check statistic is that during 2020, the FBI conducted more than 39.2 million gun background checks.
12. 4.3 million firearm inspections conducted in January 2021
Did you know that in January 2021, the FBI conducted more than 4.3 million gun background checks? I find this number to be statistically impressive and a potential sign of the future.
For example, this statistic shows that the number of Americans who choose to own a gun, whether for political or other reasons, is increasing.
Additionally, the 4.3 million firearms background checks were the highest number in a month on record, according to the FBI.
13.45% of job applicants lied about reasons for leaving
When it comes to work, around 45% of job seekers lie about their reasons for leaving, an alarming trend!
14. 79% of job seekers say lying on their resume goes unnoticed
Since so many Americans lie on their resumes to some extent, one fact that shouldn’t surprise you is that about 79% of Americans say their lies go unnoticed.
What is surprising, however, is that these lies keep making their way through the system, whether due to lack of follow-up by HR or otherwise.
15. Bad employees are paid 24 times more than bad employees
If an employer hires a bad employee, the company can cost about 24 times the cost of the bad employee’s wages, including losses due to theft or absenteeism.
Therefore, businesses must thoroughly vet candidates before hiring them to reduce losses due to improper hiring.
16. Serious criminal background checks in Texas, Kentucky and Illinois
Texas, Kentucky, and Illinois all have very strict and diligent criminal background checks, which are important for employment purposes and other reasons.
However, I am amazed that Texas has such diligent criminal background checks and did not expect the state to rank so high on that particular statistic.
17. 84% of healthcare thefts are for financial gain
Healthcare theft is very common and an interesting statistic when looking at background check information is that 84% of healthcare theft is for financial gain.
18. 90% of NICS cases closed immediately
NICS is the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is used when someone wants to buy a firearm, and many times, it’s instant.
For example, 90% of NICS cases are closed with instant closure, and the average time to complete a firearms background check is 107 seconds.
Additionally, using the NICS lets gun dealers know if someone is legally allowed to own a gun, so it’s an essential part of the gun background check process.
19. More than ⅓ driving record checks reveal violations
Background checks can also be performed on driving records, and according to driving record checks, about 1/3 of these checks will reveal one or more driving violations.
20. Background checks blocked more than 300,000 illegal gun sales in 2020
In 2020, gun background checks prevented more than 300,000 illegal firearm sales, a fun fact that surprised me!
21.22% of gun owners received a firearm without a background check
In the two years from 2013 to 2015, about 22 percent of gun owners received a firearm without a background check.
However, that number should decrease in the coming years as universal background checks and other measures are pushed to make gun background checks a requirement.
twenty two. County criminal background checks are the most common
When conducting a criminal background check, the most common type is the county-level criminal background check, which is what employers do most often.
twenty three. All 94 federal courts searched during federal background checks
When someone has to undergo a federal background check, all 94 federal court records are revoked and any federal violations are uncovered.
How common are background checks?
Background checks are very common in the U.S. workforce, with more than 95% of employers choosing to conduct background checks on potential employees.
However, with labor shortages and people not wanting to work, background checks have become less likely to be conducted just to find workers who want jobs.
How much should I worry about background checks?
As long as you’re honest during your application, resume, and job interview, you don’t need to worry about background checks.
However, if you lied while applying for a job and knew there would be a background check, you should be concerned because it could disqualify you from employment if caught.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on UPS Background Checks, Amazon Background Check Policy, and USPS Background Checks.
in conclusion
Some interesting facts about background checks include 78% of people reporting false or cosmetic information on their resume or job application.
Additionally, 60 percent of job applications contain lies or false information about educational history or background, such as attending or graduating from college.
However, if a company doesn’t conduct background checks, a bad employee can cost the company 24 times the salary of the bad employee to begin with!
