Tucson-area businesses looking to make their companies more inclusive can take part in a set of free online workshops focused on attracting and retaining LGBTQ+ employees and customers.
The training, offered on Zoom from Feb. 14 to 16 from 10 to 11 a.m., is being hosted by the Arizona business coalition, ONE Community, which works to move diversity, inclusion, equity and equality forward.
The three, one-hour Zoom workshops are open to businesses in Pima, Coconino and Yavapai counties.
Business leaders will learn about LGBTQ+ terminology, building empathy and understand the state of affairs for the community including existing policies, issue analysis, economic data and action items.
βAs an entrepreneur focused on attracting the best talent, I know how important it is to build a workplace culture that welcomes all employees and customers. Itβs not just the right thing to do, it improves my company and my ability to serve my clients by representing more perspectives on how to create impactful solutions,β said Tucson clean-energy consultant Anne Dougherty, founder and co-owner of ILLUME.
The free workshops are a part of Local First Arizonaβs AZNavigator, a statewide small business and entrepreneurship center providing free help to Arizona startups and local business owners to stabilize, reinvent or scale their companies.
Register to attend at tucne.ws/1mkz.
Reflecting on the strength of new U.S. jobs numbers, President Joe Biden says his "economic plan is working." The government said Friday that employers added a sizzling 517,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate dipped to 3.4%, the lowest level since 1969. The job gain was so large it left economists scratching their heads and wondering why the Fed's aggressive interest rate hikes haven't slowed hiring at a time when many foresee a recession nearing. Friday's report instead added to the picture of a resilient U.S. labor market, with low unemployment, relatively few layoffs and many job openings. Though good for workers, employers' steady demand for labor has also helped accelerate wage growth and contributed to high inflation. On top of the job growth it reported for January, the government on Friday also revised up its estimate of the gains in November and December by a combined 71,000. January's hiring was broad-based across industries. A category that includes restaurants and bars added 99,000 workers. Professional and business services jobs, including bookkeepers and consultants, rose by 82,000.
