The Department of Labor likes Facebook - so much so, it joined the social media leader in a new partnership that could make it easier for people looking for a job to hook up with employers looking for workers.

The federal agency and Facebook launched the Social Jobs Partnership, a new Facebook page (www.facebook.com/socialjobs) that will include links to employment services provided by the Department of Labor, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the DirectEmployers Association. Click on the link to the DirectEmployers Association and you'll find an up-to-date national database of job openings at more than 90,000 employers.

Both job seekers and employers already use Facebook and other social media to try to match their needs. The new Social Jobs Partnership page will just make this effort more efficient.

"We've brought employers, recruiters, college career services and government agencies together to help the millions of Americans who use Facebook to find jobs," said Marne Levine, Facebook's vice president of global public policy.

More than 90 percent of college students who graduated in 2011 had a Facebook profile, and the number of students who use social media to search for jobs is steadily increasing, said Marilyn Mackes, executive director of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The association connects career services professionals at colleges with human resource departments at employers.

Meanwhile, more than 90 percent of employers have used social networks, or plan to use them, to recruit new talent, Levine said.

"There is enormous potential in the Social Jobs Partnership," she said. "This is really just the beginning."

Housing: Refinancing plan good, action needed

Home builders and lenders praised the Federal Housing Finance Agency's plans to help more "underwater" homeowners refinance their mortgages, but said more is needed to address the housing crisis.

The new program applies to homeowners whose loans are owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored enterprises that are regulated by the FHFA. The agency's Home Affordable Refinance Program has helped about 900,000 homeowners who owe more than their home is worth to refinance their mortgages and get lower interest rates. Homeowners must be current on their mortgages to qualify for HARP.

The Obama administration worked with FHFA and mortgage industry officials to remove barriers that were keeping more Americans from using HARP. Changes include:

• The program's 125 percent loan-to-value ceiling will be removed, making more homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages eligible for refinancing.

• Costs associated with HARP refinancing will be reduced by eliminating certain fees for borrowers and the need for a new property appraisal, in many cases.

•  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will waive certain representations and warranties made by lenders on existing loans, which will make other lenders more willing to refinance these loans and lead to more competition.

• HARP will be extended until the end of 2013.

Refinancing through HARP will save the typical homeowner about $2,500 a year -  "equivalent to a substantial tax cut," said Shaun Donovan, secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

FFHA estimated the changes could result in 1 million or more additional HARP refinancings.

Hope Now, a mortgage industry alliance formed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, praised the changes to the HARP program.

"One of the biggest challenges in the current market is finding solutions for homeowners who aren't delinquent but unable to refinance at a more sustainable interest rate due to being underwater on their mortgage," said Hope Now Executive Director Faith Schwartz. "The new plan now eliminates many of the barriers for homeowners trying to refinance."

Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said the new program will "give a badly needed boost to consumer confidence."

Small firms play big role in clean energy

Small companies are leaders in developing clean-energy technology, according to a study of patents by the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy.

The study looked at looked at 1,279 businesses that were awarded 15 or more patents from 2005 to 2009. It found that small businesses in this group held 14 percent of green technology patents, compared with 8 percent of patents overall.

Small companies were particularly strong in solar energy and smart grid technology, where they've been awarded more than 32 percent of all patents. Small businesses accounted for 15 percent of patents in batteries and fuel cells.

The small firms among these innovative companies were more productive than big businesses, the study found. Businesses with fewer than 500 employees produced 27 patents per 100 employees, compared with 1.6 patents per 100 employees in larger businesses.

Green technology patents held by small businesses were cited 2.5 times as frequently as green patents held by large businesses.

Big businesses did contribute a lot of talent to these small innovators, however. The study found that 80 percent of the most prolific inventors of green technologies at small firms previously worked at large companies or university labs.