Slightly at a tangent, but is affirmative action / quota filling encouraged in private US based companies?
My company is opening in the US and based on our current demographic we're not too PC. Approx 100 staff, zero blacks, and 7 women.
drkaje is right on target with the "goals"
But encouraged? No, unless you want a lazy ass workforce that knows that they can file suit for discrimination since they know you fear such lawsuits and have put a plan in place.
Quota filling is reverse discrimination and will lead a paper trail for future lawsuits.
No blacks? Depends on what market you work in and educational level you need. Also, are there really that many blacks where you live? Likely not discrimination just because you have no blacks jobs are given based on merit not the color of skin.
Taxpayer funded situations depend on whether your business takes over a public function that is normally reserved for government (prison) or how intertwined the government's actions are to a point in which the government affirms your company's actions. It takes a lot.