Facebook Embraced by U.S. Department of Labor to Help Students and Grads Find Employment

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced an innovative partnership that leverages the combined audience and expertise of officials from the U.S. Department of Labor, Facebook, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, DirectEmployers Association and the National Association of Colleges and Employers to provide crucial employment resources to job seekers through the use of social networks.

Hilda Solis of U.S. Department of Labor

“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 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 the announcement, Facebook officials debuted a “social jobs partnership” page that highlights available training programs, educational opportunities and job search resources, which can be accessed at http://www.facebook.com/socialjobs. Facebook also made a commitment to drive traffic to the page through targeted online public service announcements that will appear to users in geographic areas experiencing high unemployment.

Additionally, the partner organizations will conduct in-depth survey research about how job seekers, college career centers and workforce recruiters are using the social Web effectively; explore how job postings can be shared on Facebook and through other social websites at no charge; and distribute educational materials to recruiters, government agencies and job seekers about the utility of the social Web.

“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.”

In the coming months, public and private-sector partners who have committed to helping Americans find jobs through resources and technology will be added. To view streaming video of the announcement, click on http://s.dol.gov/IZ.