The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on April 1, 2011 that the unemployment rate was little changed at 8.8%. It is no secret that when factoring in underemployed and discouraged workers, the true unemployment rate is approximately twice the headline figure currently. Politicians will try to ignore the fact, media will try to sensationalize the fact, job-seekers will despise the fact, but one company might just be taking a pioneering and bold step by daring to improve labor market efficiency one person at a time.
A little-known company called SkillPages is threatening to become one of the most disruptive social media companies since Facebook. Facebook knitted the social fabric of the world by connecting individuals who share experiences. SkillPages is taking the concept of social connectivity a step further by transforming the way individuals with skills connect to individuals seeking skills. As an example of how SkillPages can improve labor market efficiency and put people back to work, think about the following example.
Imagine a plumber in your community who is unemployed. Now it is probably fair to say that somebody in the community needs a plumber but is unsure how to find a plumber on whom he can rely. LinkedIn wouldn’t really be the place to search because it’s tailored more for white collar professionals. Yelp or Yellow Pages might offer business listings but neither provide the trusted network on which you can have confidence in your hiring decision. SkillPages solves the problem of connecting the person with skills to the person needing those same skills in a trusted environment.
In so doing, SkillPages puts job-seekers back to work and creates value with each new connection that leads to a new job or employment opportunity. On a broad scale, the company has the potential to move the Unemployment Rate needle all by itself. Undoubtedly, a large number of unemployed job-seekers have skills that are needed by customers and employers in their communities who simply don’t know where to find them or how to connect with them. SkillPages solves that problem for both employer and prospective employee/contractor.
With the potential to create so much value, SkillPages could become one of the most disruptive social media sites conceived. Clearly, the power to create so much value in economic and social terms makes SkillPages one of the most exciting new start-ups on the social media horizon. Hundreds of thousands of people are joining Skillpages every month since it launched in January, making it amongst the fastest growing social networking companies. And at a time when many economies are burdened with economic challenges, SkillPages could not have come along at a better time for skilled job-seekers and employers seeking them.
