NLx Forms Data Trust to Increase Access to Real-Time Labor Market Information

For Immediate Release

Collaborative public-private partnership to develop real-time, interactive tools for job seekers, employers, and states

WASHINGTON - The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) announced a recently signed Data Trust Agreement with DirectEmployers Association to increase access to real-time labor market information through the National Labor Exchange Research Hub.

The agreement provides the governance framework for state labor market analysts, researchers, employers, and the public to request access to the 2.4 million real-time and 120 million "historical" job postings collected through the National Labor Exchange (NLx).

The NLx collects and distributes job openings found on corporate career sites and state job banks and has been a vital resource to state workforce agencies and the broader public workforce system for over a decade. In those years, the NLx compiled millions of job postings representing a wealth of information for researchers predicting the "future of work," and for those helping job seekers and employers navigate the future. 

"The real-time labor market information collected from NLx job openings will help jobseekers and learners plan their careers, support employers' recruitment activities and inform state workforce development investments," said Scott B. Sanders, NASWA Executive Director. "We're excited to explore research insights and opportunities while providing valuable data back to the public workforce system."

"NLx data holds great potential for job seekers and the workforce community," said Mike Ellsworth, program director of CareerOneStop, a national career and training resource sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. "Analytics data derived from NLx job postings can be integrated with new job search and career information tools to assist job seekers during this critical time of historically high unemployment."

The NLx Research Hub intends to make real-time labor market information a public utility for the first time, broadening opportunities for research, product development, and anlytics tooling. Several state agencies have expressed interest in exploring integrations between the NLx data and traditional labor market information sources. 

"The emerging economy will require employers to make even more decisions about the skills needed for their jobs, whether jobs can be done remotely, and how to attract diverse candidates," said Candee Chambers, Executive Director of DirectEmployers. "The NLx Research Hub can provide insights to help employers and job seekers prepare for work of the future."

This Wednesday, July 1st and Thursday, July 2nd, the NLx Research Hub will be participating in a virtual Public Expo hosted by the National Science Foundation to showcase its projects during its Phase II Convergence Accelerator grants.

The preliminary work on the NLx Research Hub was made possible through one of the first Convergence Accelerator (C-Accel) grants by the NSF, in collaboration with DirectEmployers, the LMI Institute, housed within the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, BrightHive, the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, and SRI International.

For more information on the NLx Research Hub, visit https://nlxresearchhub.org/