Washington, The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has partnered with Hcareers, a job board for the restaurant, hospitality, and retail industries, to launch the Katrina Job Board (). With more than 65,000 job vacancies, the Job Board offers employers a free and simple way to post jobs for displaced workers affected by Hurricane Katrina and for employees to find jobs nationwide.

It is estimated that 260,000 people lost their hospitality-related jobs as a result of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, visitors can also view the AH&LA Career Center () for another 7,000 jobs available nationwide.

“It is imperative for the hospitality industry to assist the thousands of displaced workers to find employment as quickly as possible so they’re able to provide for themselves and their families, and ultimately resume their lives again,” said AH&LA President & CEO Joseph A. McInerney, CHA. “The industry is committed to being a resource for displaced workers and is pleased to be able to provide a much-needed service.”

Links are available to the Travel Industry Association of America Katrina Job Bank and the U.S. Department of Labor Katrina Recovery Job Connection.

Visit the AH&LA Website, www.ahla.com, to receive up-to-date information regarding the lodging industry’s relief efforts.

AH&LA is a 95-year-old dual membership association of state and city partner lodging associations throughout the United States with some 10,000 members nationwide, representing more than 1.3 million guest rooms. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it provides members with advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other services to ensure a positive business climate for the U.S. lodging industry. Individual state associations provide representation at the state level and offer many additional cost-saving benefits.

Launched in 1998, Hcareers is the leading job board for the hospitality, restaurant, and retail industries in terms of revenues, staff, and traffic. Hcareers has the most jobs and job seekers in all three industries with over 75,000 current job postings worldwide and over 900,000 unique visitors each month. Hcareers operates three websites, Hcareers.com (US), Hcareers.ca (Canada), and Hcareers.co.uk (United Kingdom & Ireland). The company employs over 100 full- time staff and has over 16,000 active clients. For more information on Hcareers visit their web site at .

Enica R. Thompson
Manager of Media Relations
202-289-3153
AH&LA