Multinational companies announced that they will hire more than 13,000 refugees over the next three years in Europe.
Just ahead of World Refugee Day more than 40 corporations say they will hire, connect to work, or
train 250,000 refugees, with 13,680 of them getting jobs directly in those
companies.
110 million people are displaced
worldwide, with an estimated 12 million from Ukraine, nearly half of whom are
living in Europe after the continent's largest movement of refugees since World
War II.
The hiring push in Europe was
organized by the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a nonprofit that connects
businesses and refugees. The group's first summit in the U.S. last year led to
commitments to hire 22,725 refugees.
"This is good for us as a
company because the opportunity to add diversity to our workforce will continue
to make us a stronger company," said Ofori Agboka, Amazon vice president
overseeing human resources. "With diversity brings innovation, creativity,
different insights."
He said the vast majority of jobs
will be hourly roles at fulfillment and storage centers and in transport and
delivery.
Companies are hoping refugees can fill staffing needs after the economy bounced back from the pandemic. In Europe, unemployment is at its lowest since the euro currency was introduced in 1999.
"We're seeing record levels of
demand for our properties across many markets here in Europe," Marriott
International CEO Anthony Capuano said. "And so we are hiring aggressively
to make sure we can accommodate our guests as demand ramps up."
Marriott's jobs will largely be
hourly positions such as housekeepers, kitchen staff and front desk attendants.
From Associated Press and VOA News (adapted)
