Earlier today, Facebook and the U.S. Labor department announced a new program to help unemployed workers find jobs. The program, which is called The Social Jobs Partnership, will seek to leverage the power of social media to connect unemployed workers with jobs.
Marne Levine, Facebook’s VP of Global Public Policy, released a statement that said the following of the new program:
“Facebook is about connecting people so that they can share what’s important to them, and that is the driving force behind the Social Jobs Partnership. We’ve brought employers, recruiters, college career services and government agencies together to help the millions of Americans who use Facebook find jobs.”
According to a recent independent survey, over 70% of college career centers have a Facebook Page and a recent poll indicated that 92% of employers have either recruited or plan to recruit via social networks in the near future.
The program will include a central Page on Facebook that will provide resources and content to help both employers and job seekers. In the states with the highest unemployment rates, Facebook will promote the resources and Page using public service announcements on Facebook.
In addition to the Page, Facebook and its partners are researching how social networks are currently being used by the unemployed, career centers, and employers. Facebook indicated it would like to deliver job postings virally to the unemployed workers through Facebook.
Facebook and the Department of Labor are working closely with the Direct Employers Association, National Association of Colleges and Employers, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies to leverage the power of social media to match potential employers with unemployed workers. Although the jobless claims slightly decreased last week, the unemployment rate has been above 9% since April.
[Sources Include: Facebook, Market Watch, Washington Post, & Bloomberg]
