Amazon, Pepsi, Others Agree to Hire 20K Refugees

Amazon, Pepsi and Pfizer are among a host of companies that have agreed to hire 22,725 refugees to fill jobs in the U.S.

That’s according to the Tent Partnership for Refugees, which announced the hiring effort Monday (Sept. 19) to kick off its U.S. Business Summit on Refugees.

Tent is a network of 260 major companies that have agreed to hire refugees — fleeing crises in places like Ukraine and Afghanistan — over the next three years.

“The American business community is showing incredible leadership, and I am so proud of the companies standing up for refugees today,” Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani and founder of Tent, said in a news release.

Read more: 1,200+ Refugees Get Temporary Airbnb Accommodations

“These companies will benefit from welcoming these hard-working, 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.”

The release notes that refugees in the U.S. often face significant challenges when seeking jobs, from language barriers to difficulty certifying their credentials, making business leadership crucial to helping them find work.

Amazon will hire at least 5,000 refugees, the release said, while ManpowerGroup will place 3,000 refugees with its corporate clients over three years. Meanwhile, Tyson Foods will hire 2,500 refugees, while Blackstone portfolio companies and real estate properties have agreed to hire 2,000 refugees.

Janet Saura, vice president of employee relations for Amazon, said the company will also help provide its new hires with immigration support through its Welcome Door program.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced the U.S. would welcome 100,000 refugees escaping the Russia/Ukraine war, leading Airbnb to offer those people free, temporary housing.

More than 1,200 people received temporary accommodations through Airbnb.org in Europe, while another 28,600 people registered to offer their homes to refugees through Airbnb.org.

Airbnb received more than $6.8 million in small donations from 73,000 individual donors across 95 countries.