Ink gets in the way of inc.

It's hard to find someone without a tattoo these days, especially among millennials, 40% of whom have some kind of body art.

A new study by the University of Tampa, however, shows that although tattoos remain popular among students, they still don't have a place at work. Nearly nine of 10 student respondents, 86%, say they believe tattoos are an impediment to being hired.

“Clearly students know that corporate America does not like their tattoos, and they know to cover up so as to play to these views,” says Kristen Foltz, a visiting speech professor at the school who conducted the research.

Although a vast majority believes tattoos are bad for business, half the students Foltz talked to say they will get a tattoo anyway. They will just get the tattoo in a spot that would normally be covered by clothing.

And although students are more accepting of tattoos, they too would likely have trouble hiring someone with a visible work of body art. “Perhaps one needs to reframe their judgments of people they see with visible tattoos,” Foltz suggests.

Foltz's research was published in the winter issue of College Student Journal.