WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - People looking for work could have an easier time of getting noticed, and the state could have a new way of cutting down unemployment costs.

Louisiana is the first state with new technology dubbed "HIRE", or Helping Individuals Reach Employment, to connect employers to the unemployed.

When people file for unemployment claims they will get information on openings, job training, even suggestions on career paths. For the first time, employers will also get an alert that workers are out there and searching for jobs.

Officials said if it works as promised, the HIRE program could cut costs on un-employment insurance. Last year alone, Louisiana spent 335 million dollars in unemployment claims.

"We can knock [off] a month of... the average claim, maybe 6 weeks even, depending on what happens with the economy." said Director Curt Eysink with the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

The HIRE system will also indicate if people are not looking for jobs, making it possible to stop their benefits until they start searching.

It will be in operation by the end of the year.