The number of candidates concealing criminal convictions from employers is on the rise, according to data from pre-employment screening specialist Powerchex.

The analysis of almost 6,000 job applications made over the last year shows one in every 200 successful applications to roles within financial services sector was found to have been falsified in order to hide a criminal conviction from a future employer, while undisclosed county court judgements (CCJs) or bankruptcies made up 12% of total discrepancies.

A negative credit record was found on one in every 50 successful financial services applications.