Hospitality Hires Chicago 2022 Matching Employers and Job Seekers in a Rebounding Industry

Take a Step Towards Your Future or Make Your Next Great Hire at Hospitality Hires Chicago

(CHICAGO)—The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) announced today it is partnering with Choose Chicago, The Magnificent Mile Association, Illinois Restaurant Association, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, Chicago Loop Alliance, Near South Planning Board, World Business Chicago, and Cook County to host the 5th annual Hospitality Hires Chicago (HHC). The hiring event, located at Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, will include 60 employers with open positions who are ready to interview and hire the region’s diverse, work-ready, skilled job seekers.

The details are below:

What: Working with Chicago’s premier workforce agencies, Hospitality Hires Chicago provides pre-registered employers with an opportunity to make their next great hire and work-ready, pre-registered job seekers to find their next great career opportunity.

When: Thursday, April 28, 2022
        9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel
17 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603

“Chicago’s Hospitality industry is one of the economic engines of our regional economy. It’s an essential and driving force for economic growth and job development,” said Partnership Co-Acting CEO and Chief Program Officer Patrick Combs. “This event connects job seekers to careers with family-sustaining wages and benefits and ready-to-hire employers with the work-ready talent pipeline they seek.”

Since its inception, HHC has helped approximately 900 people obtain employment and /or conditional job offers. HHC includes employers from Chicago-area hospitality, tourism, food services, retail, and related sectors who are committed to hiring hundreds of job seekers. Open positions include well-paid, full-time, career-pathway opportunities with benefits and compensation perks (signing and retention bonuses).

The economy is rebounding. The March jobs report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on April 1 shows a resurgence in the retail and hospitality sectors and continues to report on a “tight” job market, with the number of job openings outpacing that of job seekers. Overall, it was reported that leisure and hospitality led the gains, followed by professional and business services and retail trade.  Specifically, 49,000 jobs were added to the retail sector last month and the unemployment level in the restaurant industry continues to drop as the sector rebounds after 90,000 establishments closed nationwide in 2021.

The Partnership operates a network of more than 90 workforce development agencies in Chicago and Cook County. Staff at 10 American Job Centers (AJC) in the region support job seekers with skills assessments, resume and interview preparation, and more. Job seekers can reach an AJC by dialing 800-720-2515 or by visiting The Partnership’s website at chicookworks.org.

To register for Hospitality Hires Chicago, job seekers can visit ChiCookWorks.org/HHC and must register by Tuesday, April 26.  For more information, job seekers can contact The Partnership’s Hospitality and Tourism Sector Center at 312-281-7925. Candidates are required to bring 10 copies of their resumes. The registration confirmation will state the requirements to enter the event (dress code, updated resume, etc.) at a specific time. Pre-registration is required.

Employers who wish to register should contact The Partnership’s Business Relations Specialist Marion A. Batey at mbatey@chicookworks.org. Inquiries and registration must be received by Wednesday, April 20. Pre-registration is required.