Atlanta mayor hosts job fair for LGBTQ applicants

Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms waves to the crowd as she makes her way down Peachtree Street during the 49th Annual Pride Festival and Parade in Atlanta Sunday, Oct 13, 2019.  STEVE SCHAEFER / SPECIAL TO THE AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms waves to the crowd as she makes her way down Peachtree Street during the 49th Annual Pride Festival and Parade in Atlanta Sunday, Oct 13, 2019. STEVE SCHAEFER / SPECIAL TO THE AJC

The second annual fair aimed to help members of Atlanta’s LGBTQ community find work is expected to offer over 1,000 job openings.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will host the Virtual LGBTQ Opportunity Fair from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday. Attendees can register through the ATLGBTQ website.

More than 1,000 positions from entry level to management in different industry sectors will be available, a statement from the mayor’s office said.

Employers will conduct interviews and some could offer employment that day, the statement added.

Businesses such as Amazon, Bank of America, GLAAD, Advanced Auto Parts, Savannah College of Art & Design, Habitat for Humanity and many others are scheduled to attend.

The city is partnering with Goodwill of North Georgia for the online event. Last year, the nonprofit served nearly 50,000 job seekers in career services including hiring and training, an organization reports shows.

“And we helped connect more than 24,000 to jobs,” Elaine Armstrong, vice president of marketing for Goodwill of North Georgia, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re excited to be a part of this event for the second year.”

A report by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation showed an estimated 40% of LGBTQ adults have worked in the food service or retail industries which were hit hard by the pandemic. The report added that even after restaurants started reopening LGBTQ people of color were at 150% greater risk than the general population of experiencing a cut in wages or salary.

“Ensuring that LGBTQ Atlantans have access to resources and career pathways remains the goal of our opportunity fair,” Bottoms said in the city statement. “We are thankful to everyone participating in our event by providing their unwavering support to continue helping Atlanta’s LGBTQ community shine.”

In addition to employment opportunities, the virtual job fair will offer video sessions in résumé writing, financial literacy, paths to homeownership and other resources.

To register directly for the event, visit careerconnector.easyvirtualfair.com.