Mayor Adams, SBS Commissioner Gross Celebrate Small Businesses Saving Over $50 Million in Fines and Fees Since Start of Administration

February 5, 2025

Announcement Comes as City Celebrates Breaking All-Time High Jobs Record for
Eighth Time Since Start of Administration, Unemployment Down Across All Demographics  
Part of Adams Administration’s “Jobs Week,” Highlighting City’s Effort to
Ensure Opportunity Reaches Every Borough, Block, and Neighborhood, and
Working-Class Families Have Access to Good-Paying Jobs 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Dynishal Gross today continued “Jobs Week” by celebrating New York City small businesses saving over $50 million in fines and fees thanks to the Adams administration. Today’s announcement comes as the city, last week, celebrated breaking the all-time high jobs record for the eighth time and unemployment going down across all demographics, since the start of the Adams administration.

“Small businesses have a large impact on New York City, creating millions of job opportunities all across the five boroughs and serving as the economic engine of our city,” said Mayor Adams. “From day one of our administration, we set out to make life easier for small business owners in our city by cutting red tape and putting money back into their pockets. Over $50 million later, our team looks forward to building on that success and continuing to deliver relief for our small business community. As we celebrate ‘Jobs Week,’ our administration thanks all the small businesses that operate, hire, and thrive in the greatest city on the globe.”

“Since day one of the Adams administration, we knew that the recovery of New York City’s economy would be a recovery driven by small business — and what a recovery it has been,” said SBS Commissioner Gross. “Through SBS’s NYC BEST program, Executive Order 2, and the implementation of recommendations put forward by the Small Business Advisory Council, we have helped unleash the potential of the true engine of New York: its small business owners and the employees they hire.”

From day one, the Adams administration has enacted programs to support small businesses by cutting red tape and supporting their growth. In January 2022, as one of his first actions, Mayor Adams signed the “Small Business Forward” Executive Order, which has saved small businesses an estimated $8.9 million in reduced fines and advanced an education-first approach in its first year of implementation. The common-sense set of reforms helped local businesses face fewer needless fines and penalties. Later, in September 2022, SBS launched the “NYC Business Express Service Team (BEST)” to provide New York City’s small businesses with one-on-one expert support to help business owners not only resolve or avoid fines and violations, but also save time and money navigating city government rules and permitting processes. Since its start, NYC BEST has helped over 6,000 small businesses save more than $42.5 million in fines and fees, comply with existing regulations, and shorten the time it takes to launch. Together, NYC BEST and Executive Order 2 have saved small businesses over $50 million in the first three years of the Adams administration.

The Adams administration has overseen the full recovery and growth of small businesses in New York City. According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (NYCEDC) inaugural “State of the Economy” report, the city’s labor market has reached a record number of private-sector jobs and a record-high labor force participation rate, more than 4.1 million and 62.8 percent respectively. With 94 percent of all private firms in New York City identified as small businesses, and with those businesses employing more than 1 million New Yorkers, these bold new initiatives will continue to fuel the historic comeback of the city’s economy.

Earlier this week, SBS celebrated several milestones across their 18 Workforce1 Career Centers. Altogether, Workforce1 Career Centers have served more than 71,000 New Yorkers since the start of the Adams administration, which includes job placement services for more than 1,900 individuals with disabilities, 3,200 veterans and their spouses, and 1,000 “new” New Yorkers through the city’s American Dream Works program. SBS’s 18 Workforce1 Career Centers provide New Yorkers with no-cost services, including interview prep, resume workshopping, skills training, and job placement. Job seekers can learn more by calling 311 or visiting SBS's career page. Workforce1 benefits jobseekers and businesses alike by working directly with employers in all five boroughs across the city to fill vacancies with qualified, pre-screened candidates. Businesses looking to hire employees should call 311 or visit the city's Business Services page. 

These milestones in workforce development and hiring also come as SBS announced an additional $340,000 in funding for the city’s no-cost NCLEX-RN Training Program for English Language Learners, which addresses the city’s critical nursing shortage while creating pathways to economic mobility for immigrant New Yorkers. By leveraging untapped expertise, the program connects internationally-trained nurses with the resources needed to secure licensure and high-paying roles in New York City’s hospitals and clinics. Since its launch, the NCLEX-RN program has delivered marked success: 94 percent of participants pass the NCLEX-RN exam, compared to the national average of 70 percent. Since 2022, the Adams administration has invested $2.8 million more in the NCLEX-RN program, with this latest expansion bringing that total to over $3.1 million for 2026.

“As a member of the New York State Assembly Small Business Committee, I am always an advocate for New York City’s 183,000 small businesses,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “They employ a million people, generate over $3 billion in economic activity, and about half are immigrant-owned. For them to grow and thrive, we cannot burden them with costly fines. I am proud that the Adams administration has saved small businesses over $50 million by reducing fineable violations, lowering fees, allowing violation curing, and educating businesses. That is $50 million for owners to invest in their life’s work, hire more people, and add to the vibrancy of our neighborhoods.” 

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