Artificial intelligence for the unemployed

Fri, 10/16/2009 - 03:15 - NLN

Could a mathematical formula cause a big leap forward in the job search? The New York State Department of Labor thinks so. It's testing an algorithm it hopes will do much better than ordinary job boards at finding work for the unemployed.

The Department of Labor is trying to radically refine the job search. It wants to use a computer to match the unemployed with open positions. The program looks at phrases and paragraphs in a person's resume, not just keywords. The software has been used by companies like Coca Cola and Accenture to select resumes from pools of applicants. Now it's being applied in the reverse way -- to help applicants land on the right desk.