How Do You Find A Job? Ask The Algorithm

How Do You Find A Job? Ask The Algorithmby Ilya Marritz

November 6, 2009

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[3 min 30 sec]Add to PlaylistDownloadTranscript text sizeAAANovember 6, 2009 from WNYCThe state of New York is looking for ways to reduce the time the unemployed spend looking for jobs, and it's turning to a mathematical formula for help.

The state's Department of Labor is touting the new tool as a major leap forward in the search for jobs. The formula is designed to direct resumes to the employers most likely to make a hire.

So far, Minnesota is the only other state to use this kind of fancy math to try to connect workers with jobs. There are no hard data, but a spokesperson for the state says the program has been working well.

A New York State Of Mind

Lisa Berger is one of the very first New Yorkers to test what this computer program can do. She has a couple of decades of experience as a publishing executive and, more recently, as a nonprofit fundraiser.

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