Changes in technology and communications over the past 20 years have transformed labor markets around the world and made online job searches the norm for most firms and workers in the US. Just look at the growth of LinkedIn, an American business and employment-oriented online service. More than 25% of US adults are LinkedIn users today, according to Pew Research Center. It is a social media platform available in 200 countries, and LinkedIn states that “100 million job applications” are sent each month. Thus, scrolling on-line for a job has become almost expected.

Julie Trivitt, senior economist at Heartland Forward, has done a deep dive into rates of job ads and resumes that were posted from July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021. While the answer is not crystal clear on how to close the gap, there are some trends business leaders and policymakers can consider for potential employees who are looking for jobs online. The patterns and characteristics identified in the data can help business leaders and policymakers more accurately assess their labor markets and make decisions likely to foster economic growth.

To read more of Julie's work, you can find it here:

• Hiring Yourself: Self-employment and Opportunity Occupations in the Heartland
• Hiring Yourself:  Industries Where Self-Employment has Expanded
• Hiring Yourself:  How the Heartland Stacks Up
• Heartland Entrepreneurs Feel Venture Capital Slight

Julie also has quite a career before joining Heartland Forward. To learn more about Julie and her background, you can find her vita here.