I always wondered if they were getting people on loan from the state - giving back to the community through work-release.
They are doing this to the cashiers most of all at many stores I have seen...hire new people put them on the register and pay less while giving the regulars 16-20 hours or some cases less.
They are not getting a "loan" from the state, but they are getting tax credits from the states & fed government.
I just applied for a job at Target. The online site literally asks about 10 questions that go along the lines of this - "Has your family been on food stamps in the last year?" "Has your family been on temp assistance?" "Do you qualify for welfare to work?" "Have you been released from a correctional facility in the last year?"
Anytime Target hires anyone who answers "yes" to any of those questions means they get a tax credit to hire you. In other words, the government actually pays them to hire you in the form of a tax credit. Basically, you are almost free labor to Target. The government wants people off of welfare and ex-cons to have a job so they don't commit more crimes.
My old store was located in a high crime/high poverty area. Literally about 50% of the TMs either came from extreme poverty or had a criminal record. Hell, one of my old electronics TMs had robbed a pizza store at gun point. My store was making bank for the company of off all the tax credits they were getting.
Here is an example from California just to give you an idea why certain people get hired:
"An employer may qualify for a tax credit of up to $9,000 if the employee is a member of a designated target group and meets that group’s specific requirements.
Target Groups that Qualify for the WOTC — Individuals hired from the following nine target groups may qualify an employer for the WOTC:
Qualified recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
Qualified veterans receiving Food Stamps or qualified veterans with a service connected disability who:
Have a hiring date which is not more than one year after having been discharged or released from active duty OR
Have aggregate periods of unemployment during the one year period ending on the hiring date that equal or exceed six months.
Ex-felons hired no later than one year after conviction or release from prison.
Designated Community Resident – an individual who has attained ages 18 but not 40 on the hiring date who reside in an Empowerment Zone, Renewal Community, or Rural Renewal County.
Vocational rehabilitation referrals, including Ticket Holders with an individual work plan developed and implemented by an Employment Network.
Qualified summer youth ages 16 through 17 who reside in an Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Community, or Renewal Community.
Qualified Food Stamp recipients ages 18 but not 40 on the hiring date.
Qualified recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Long-term family assistance recipients."
http://www.edd.ca.gov/Jobs_and_Training/WOTC_Basic_Facts.htm
So if Target hires an ex-con one year out of jail, they instantly get $9000 cash. And that is just the tax break they get from a state. The feds give them even more on top of that. In other words, Target can actually make money by hiring people.