While it may not be appropriate, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries said it is legal.

"I think there might be some employers that look at that almost as a character reference," said the bureau's Jennifer Germundson.

Posing as a prospective employee, KATU News took an undercover camera and revisited three of the stores where Beck applied - The Children's Place, Motherhood Maternity and Eddie Bauer. They are all at the Tanger Outlet in Lincoln City.

At Motherhood Maternity, the store manager admitted that someone with very poor credit probably would not be hired. At Eddie Bauer, the manager wasn't sure how the credit information was used. And at The Children's Place, the manager said salespeople no longer have a credit check run - even though a prospective employee must sign off to process their application.

Each store manager said the applications containing social security number are kept in locked file cabinets. But at Motherhood Maternity, all employees have access.

Besides privacy and security issues, Beck said the practice of using credit information just isn't fair. She believes it discriminates against the kind of people who may need a job the most.

"You know, if you lose your job, you get behind on your bills, your credit drops," said Beck, who found a job as a waitress at the Otis Cafe. "Now they're going to make it harder to find a job because your credit is not great?"

Fortunately, Beck is once again earning a living at a job that didn't care about her credit score.

If you are denied employment because of what is in your credit report, the employer must let you know that and give you a copy of the report. You should check the copy in case it is not accurate.

If you feel uncomfortable about giving your social security number on an application, just write "available upon request." That way you give the number only if you are seriously being considered for the job.