CHICAGO, Nov. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (Nasdaq:IPDN) announced it will host a Professional & Technology Diversity Career Fair in the city of Los Angeles for diverse professionals including women, veterans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBT community. The free event will take place on Thursday, November 20, 2014 from 11:00am until 4:00pm at the Los Angeles Marriott Hotel 5855 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045. 

Sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the event offers diverse candidates a unique opportunity to connect with employers proactively seeking to fill positions. Registered attendees can meet face-to-face with recruiters and HR managers representing a range of industries such as IT, healthcare, education and retail.

Participating companies include Baxter Healthcare, The Boeing Company, Epson America, Insight Enterprises, Kaiser Permanente, Pepperdine University, UCLA and the United States Olympic Committee. The Southern California Gas Company is also a sponsor.

"Our goal is to help diverse job seekers – especially mid-to-senior level professionals – overcome the challenges of access and visibility," said Mike Hall, executive vice president of Professional Diversity Network. "Unlike traditional job fairs, this event gives candidates an opportunity to meet recruiters, share their "elevator pitch" and compete for a specific job opportunity. We hope all professionals in the Los Angeles area will join us to make quality connections with corporate leaders who value diversity."

According to the latest data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Los Angeles has an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent, which is above the national average of 5.8 percent. Local unemployment and underemployment levels among diverse Americans, particularly African Americans and Hispanics, are significantly higher regardless of educational attainment. 

About Professional Diversity Network
Professional Diversity Network (PDN) develops and operates online networks dedicated to serving diverse professionals in the U.S., including women, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, veterans, disabled persons and LGBT, by providing them with access to employment opportunities.  PDN owns and operates professional networking communities including: iHispano, BlackCareerNetwork, WomensCareerChannel.com, Military2Career, ProAble.net, OutProNet, and AsianCareerNetwork. For more info, visit prodivnet.com.  In September 2014, PDN acquired the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW), the largest, most-recognized organization of professional women in the country, with over 600,000 members and nearly 300 local chapters. For more info, visit prodivnet.com.

SOURCE Professional Diversity Network, Inc.