Laid-Off Foreign Tech Workers Are Set to Find New Jobs in Chicago

(Bloomberg) -- Chicago is looking to attract a myriad of foreign workers laid off by technology giants as companies in the city and its suburbs seek to lure top talent and fill thousands of open positions.

More than 35 firms in the Chicago region are willing to hire workers on H-1B visas, given to foreign employees in specialty occupations such as software engineering. The companies have teamed up with the city and P33, a nonprofit organization founded by former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, to build a job-listing website that debuts on Wednesday.

The initiative is the first of its kind and could bolster Chicagos ambition of becoming a technology hub. It will also help companies, including Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT)., Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) Inc., credit reporting agency TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) and ticket resale firm Vivid Seats Inc., to fill the more than 400,000 vacancies open in Illinois.

We have a real need for talent, said TransUnion Chief Executive Officer Chris Cartwright. We want to get the message out there that theres a very attractive tech community here in Chicago. Its vibrant and dynamic. Its both established players, but also an emerging startup space, and we welcome those workers.