Republican gubernatorial candidate and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam announced Thursday plans to develop an online jobs clearinghouse that will pull together existing market data in a user-friendly way so that every jobseeker, employer, community official, higher education institution, and economic development organization has access to timely and accurate information on the current and future economic landscape of Tennessee.
“Tennessee is still suffering from nearly 11 percent unemployment,” Haslam said. “Lots of people are looking for work, but the question is, ‘How can we aid in that process? How can we help people make informed decisions about what careers to pursue, what businesses to start, what training to offer?’”
This one-stop shop will serve both a short-term and long-term purpose. It will help the thousands of Tennesseans who have recently lost their jobs quickly rejoin the workforce, but it will also help communities, entrepreneurs, and postsecondary institutions make informed decisions about future economic development.