Help With the Matching Problem

by Daniel L. Bennett
Note: This is a satirical piece

Economists often discuss the matching problem in the labor market. In other words, the labor supply may equal the labor demand, but there are sometimes problems in matching prospective employees with certain skills with employers seeking employees with certain skills. Part of the problem is that there are information and search costs involved. Being one who likes to solve problems, I've identified a possible employee-employer match.

According to Inside Higher Ed, Rob Sgobbo is an award-winning graduate of Columbia University's journalism school. His award was for education reporting. He recently wrote a freelance piece for The Village Voice that was highly critical of for-profit colleges and universities. The article was later rescinded when the publication realized that at least part of his story was a fabrication. In addition to the fabrications, Sgobbo also apparently has trouble regurgitating statistics, as he stated in his article that for-profit enrollments grew from 365,000 in 2005 to 1.8 million in 2009. A quick glance at Figure 1 of CCAP's report on for-profit education reveals that enrollments in the sector have been well above 365,000 since the mid 90s.

Looks like Scobbo is a great match for the GAO's investigative arm.