U.S. Labor Department Teams Up With Facebook to Connect Job Seekers With Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Labor has recently announced a unique partnership with Facebook, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, DirectEmployers Association and the National Association of Colleges and Employers to help unemployed Americans connect with job opportunities through the use of social networks. With the combined strength of the various agencies and organizations, the D.O.L. will provide valuable tools, resources, and educational materials for unemployed workers to take advantage of.

“Linking American job seekers with the resources they need to get back to work is a top priority of the Obama administration and my department,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “By leveraging the power of the social Web, this initiative will provide immediate, meaningful and ready-to-use information for job seekers and employers, and a modern platform to better connect them.”

As part of their ongoing effort to support the job seeking initiate, Facebook has recently launched a “social jobs partnership” page that highlights available training programs, educational opportunities and job search resources. Facebook will also drive traffic to the page through online public service announcements – geographically targeted in high unemployment areas.

“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,” said Marne Levine, Facebook’s vice president of global public policy. “We’ve brought employers, recruiters, college career services and government agencies together to help the millions of Americans who use Facebook to find jobs.”

Other partners will conduct surveys gauging the “social web” fluency of recruiters, job seekers, and college career centers – to determine whether these groups are utilizing social media effectively. Free job postings through Facebook and other social media channels will also be explored. Additionally, partners will distribute educational materials to recruiters, government agencies and job seekers about the advantages of utilizing the social Web.

Other public and private-sector organizations are set to join the program in the near future – providing additional services and resources. Facebook’s “social jobs partnership” page can be accessed at http://www.facebook.com/socialjobs.