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In a solution expected to benefit both employers and workers, dozens of companies this week announced a commitment to hire nearly 23,000 refugees.
The American business community is showing incredible leadership, and I am so proud of the companies standing up for refugees today," said Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani and founder of Tent Partnership for Refugees. "These companies will benefit from welcoming these hardworking, loyal and resilient individuals – but my hope is that this is only the beginning. As refugee crises start to fade from the headlines, companies must recognize that hiring refugees is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do."
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The announcement was made at the U.S. Business Summit on Refugees, organized by Tent, a network of 260 major businesses committed to supporting the economic integration of refugees. The summit was the first in a series of initiatives to mobilize companies in support of refugees.
The United States is set to welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees in the coming years, including almost 100,000 Afghans by the end of 2022; 100,000 Ukrainians who have fled Russia's invasion; and up to 125,000 refugees per year from other parts of the world who will arrive through the resettlement program. Because refugees in the United States often face significant challenges finding work — including language barriers, difficulty certifying their credentials and lack of a professional network — business leadership is critical to help them secure jobs.
Related: Businesses engage employees to respond to humanitarian crisis in Ukraine
Amazon will hire at least 5,000 refugees over three years. "We believe that Amazon is a stronger company because of the diversity of our workforce, and we actively seek to hire people with different backgrounds, skill sets and levels of experience," said Janet Saura, vice president of employee relations for Amazon Stores and Corporate. "Being displaced from your homeland and having to start again somewhere is never easy, which is why we are committed to helping where we can, by providing refugees and other displaced people with access to meaningful employment as well as immigration support, through our Welcome Door program. It's our privilege to help people make a new start."
Other companies that will hire refugees over the next three years include:
- ManpowerGroup will place 3,000 refugees in jobs at its corporate clients
- Tyson Foods will hire 2,500 refugees
- Blackstone portfolio companies and real estate properties will hire 2,000 refugees
- Hilton will hire 1,500 refugees
- Cargill will hire 1,000 refugees
- Hyatt will hire 500 refugees
- Pfizer will hire 500 refugees
These hiring commitments are estimated to generate $913 million in income for refugees in the United States each year, according to the Tent release. They not only will help thousands of refugees start their new lives with security and dignity but also harness their skills and resilience to strengthen the U.S. workforce, fill key labor gaps and boost the economy, the release further stated.
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
