Income

• There are a number of different situations that ask you to verify that you have some sort of income coming in and how much it is. This could be for a loan of some sort, for instance.
  
  

Past employers

• Work history is used to contact past employers to see how hard of a worker you were. Past employers might reveal things about you that you wouldn't be willing to reveal about yourself, both good and bad. Also, they can talk about how dependable you were as far as showing up every day and on time.
  
  

Stability

• Work history is a good representation of your stability. If you were willing and able to stay at one job for a long period of time, this is a good sign that you will be able to do it again.
  
  

Honesty

• Work history might be used to see how honest you were on an application. The recipient will call and verify every piece of information you put on an application and see if you stretched the truth or not. You might even be questioned about dishonesty.
  
  

Skills

• Depending on what jobs you've held in the past, you might have certain skills and knowledge that a potential employer might find you useful for. You might not think about it when filling out the application, but a company might see you and your past as a major opportunity.
  
  

Experience

• Work history can show how much relevant experience you've had at other jobs or even at working in general. This is important in many jobs to determine pay levels because many times they are based upon experience.