Noting that under- and unemployment by low-income and minority workers often reflects a lack of opportunity, a broad range of companies have committed to changing that factor. Led by Howard Schultz, the charismatic CEO of Starbucks, the coalition includes several retailers in addition to the coffee chain, such as CVS, Walmart, JCPenney, Macy’s, Taco Bell, Target, and Walgreens. (It also features non-retail and service providers, including Microsoft, Hilton, JP Morgan Chase, Alaska Airlines, and HMS Host.) Each company has promised to seek to hire some set number of employees who traditionally might not have been on their recruitment radar. Schultz took care to note that these opportunities are not replacing existing jobs but rather creating new options for employment. In support of the initiative, the coalition plans to host job fairs in underrepresented areas of cities across the nation. This effort occurs in conjunction with Starbucks’ ongoing efforts to hire at least 10,000 military veterans by 2018. Both attempts are receiving support from various sources, including the corporate entities themselves, Schultz’s own foundation (which has contributed $30 million to job training programs), and fund-raising efforts by existing employees of the participating firms.

Source: Julie Jargon, The Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2015