One Job for Greensboro aims for 1,000 new hires

Greensboro is working to eliminate unemployment — one job at a time.

The city of Greensboro, along with the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and the Guilford Merchants Association, announced an initiative Aug. 31 that they hope will result in 1,000 new hires.

This program, called One Job for Greensboro, encourages companies to commit to hire one new employee this year.

About 16,000 businesses operate in Greensboro, said Gail Vadia, director of marketing and communications with the Greensboro Partnership, an economic and community development organization in the city.

“Obviously not every single one has the resources to invest in a new employee,” she said.

“But just imagine what that many new jobs could do for the community.”

Vadia said this program was created in response to Greensboro’s 10.7 percent unemployment rate.

“Job loss here is well documented, as it is across the state and the nation,” she said.

“We felt this was an excellent opportunity to have the business community rally behind.”

Doug Allred, spokesman for Cone Health, one of the first organizations to sign on to the initiative, said hiring an extra employee will help the community as a whole.

“We are one of the major employers in the area,” he said.

“The economic health of the community is closely tied to the health of our hospital.”

Mike Bumpass, president of FirstPoint Inc., another early adopter of One Job for Greensboro, said in a press release that the hiring initiative will also benefit companies.

“One Job for Greensboro gives us the opportunity to show that our city is open for business,” he said.

“The initiative will help those companies publicize the fact that they are hiring and find more qualified candidates for their open positions.”

In its first week, 10 organizations pledged to hire at least one extra person, Vadia said.

“It is a great way for small businesses, large corporations and entrepreneurs to all get together for a team effort,” she said.

“I would absolutely recommend this for other communities.”

According to One Job for Greensboro’s website, the program was modeled after similar national campaigns and an initiative in Atlanta called Hire One Atlanta.

But Chapel Hill is not considering such an initiative, said Chapel Hill Town Council member Matt Czajkowski.

Chapel Hill’s unemployment rate is lower than Greensboro’s — 7.8 percent.

“Obviously the council is doing everything that we can to increase our commercial pace,” Czajkowski said.

“But I’m not aware of any employment initiatives in the works right now.”

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