News

Labor department criticizes Iowa unemployment kiosks

August 10, 2012

In an unreleased report from the U.S. Department of Labor, kiosks deployed by the state of Iowa to provide services for unemployed citizens faced criticism for their lack of effectiveness and usability, according to a story at Indystar.com.

The kiosks, known as Virtual Access Points, were implemented after budget cuts forced the state to close three dozen unemployment offices and aimed to offer services to job seekers that they would normally receive during an on-site visit.The federal review found that the kiosks were limited to informational descriptions of services and failed to provide aid to self-help or staff-assisted services that a job seeker may need, or would have otherwise received at a traditional unemployment office.

The report also found that there was little way for the state to gauge the effectiveness of the program based on user feedback.

Read more about government self-service applications.