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Arizona Tourism Group Works to Find Jobs for Displaced Hospitality Workers
The Arizona Office of Tourism partnered with the Arizona Commerce Authority Office of Economic Opportunity to launch a new resource aimed at connecting displaced hospitality workers with industries that are urgently hiring. It is estimated that roughly 40% of Arizona’s hospitality workforce, some 80,000 people, are projected by Tourism Economics to be laid off or furloughed in the coming weeks.
The tourism group is continuing to work with partners statewide to provide resources people can use as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds. Tourism is one of the key economic drivers of the state. The hospitality sector in Metro Phoenix employed 167,723 during 2018, collectively earning roughly $3.3 billion in wages
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey also enacted legislation to make more Arizonans eligible for unemployment benefits. Retroactive to March 10, unemployment benefits are now available to those who are not receiving wages due to a COVID-19 closure but plan to return; those who are self-quarantining, and those who left work to care for a family member.
*Photo courtesy of Arizona Office of Tourism via Twitter
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