[Lawtonfogle]

>If only 20% of programmers have a portfolio that they aren't bound by a contract not to reveal, does that mean programmers should be 80% unemployment?

No. There is no should or should not, there is and is not. And the 'is' of the matter is that a candidate with a portfolio will be ranked higher than a comparable candidate without. That is only one factor, and other factors can still override that factor. And sometimes, you may be applying for a job where no programmer with a portfolio has applied.

I see no problem even if every employer wanted to use this standard, as long as the employer realized it was only one factor of many and not some gold standard.