The Courier and Press reports there are 9,700 vacant positions in the Evansville-Henderson region.
There are 6,400 unemployed people in that region, but business leaders repeatedly say that many potential workers cannot pass a drug test or do not have “soft skills” like showing up for work on time or good communication.
A coalition of area economic development leaders created a six-week pilot program to attract employees through social media, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
So far, they are reporting some success, even attracting interest from potential workers in disaster areas like Puerto Rico.
Many of the unfilled jobs are in manufacturing and life sciences.