NEW YORK—Major U.S. companies pledged to hire more than 20,000 refugees over the next three years, a number that refugee advocates say will help integrate the wave of Afghans and Ukrainians who arrived over the last year.
The hiring commitments were announced Monday at an event in New York organized by the Tent Partnership for Refugees, which is pressing corporations to hire refugees. The group said that the pledges reflect a growing awareness by U.S. companies that hiring refugees benefits their business. It said research shows that consumers value ethical behavior and refugees make more loyal employees.
“Every single number that is announced is a life. It has its own story and has an impact for generations and generations to come,” said
Hamdi Ulukaya,
the Chobani chief executive and founder of Tent, at the conclusion of the event.
More than 100 major U.S. companies have signed up to join the Tent Partnership network.
The hiring goal of 20,000 is just a fraction of the total of Afghan and Ukrainian arrivals over the past year. U.S. government data shows close to 80,000 Afghans have arrived in the U.S. since the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan. An International Rescue Committee report published last month said about 41,000 of the resettled Afghans are working age and many of them have joined America’s workforce.
The IRC report didn’t say how many had found jobs. The average salary, based on a survey of 1,800 Afghan arrivals, was just over $16.50 an hour and the main hiring sectors have been manufacturing, retail and food services, the IRC data showed.
The Tent Partnership says around 150,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the U.S. on a variety of visas, including tourist visas, which wouldn’t make them eligible to work. About 50,000 have arrived through the U.S. government United For Ukraine program, which aims to provide Ukrainians with a pathway to seek refuge in the U.S.
Major companies such as
Amazon.com Inc.,
Walmart Inc.
and
Uber Technologies Inc.
have emerged as key destinations for Afghans and other refugees looking for their first job in America.
“The commitment we’re making today is not just about jobs, but providing refugees with access to meaningful opportunities to help them build their new life,” said
Janet Saura,
vice president, employee relations, WW Amazon Stores and Corporate.
Amazon made the largest pledge on Monday, committing to hire 5,000 refugees in the next three years.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings
and
Marriott International Inc.
each pledged to hire 1,500 refugees.
Pfizer
said it would hire 500 refugees.
“We embrace and celebrate the diversity that refugees bring to the workforce, their skill set, their life experiences, resilience and fierce dedication to being successful,” said
Mona Babury,
global diversity, equity and inclusion leader at Pfizer.
U.S. companies also committed to providing training resources and internship opportunities for thousands of refugees. In total, 45 companies made announcements. Tent said the pledges would result in more than $900 million in income for refugees each year.
Write to Jessica Donati at [email protected]
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Appeared in the September 20, 2022, print edition as ‘Major U.S. Companies Commit To Hire Over 20,000 Refugees.’
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