Mayor Adams Celebrates Milestone in Connecting New Yorkers to Jobs, Training Opportunities, Building on Record-Breaking Job Growth

September 16, 2024

 8,500 New Yorkers Connected to Jobs and Free Training Resources at 26 Hiring Halls Over Six Months in Neighborhoods with Highest Unemployment Rate
 
Nearly 90 Percent of Attendees, 96 Percent of Employers and Partners Surveyed Left ‘Satisfied’ with Hiring Hall Experience

Announcements Comes as Adams Administration Recently Celebrated Approximate 30 Percent Reduction in Black and Latino Unemployment

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce (NYC Talent) today announced nearly 8,500 job-seeking New Yorkers were connected to employment, free training, and workforce development resources over six months through the “through the “Jobs NYC” initiative. Jobs NYC is a multi-pronged citywide effort to reduce barriers to economic opportunities and deliver workforce development services directly to communities across the five boroughs that are experiencing high unemployment.. Mayor Adams hosted 26 “hiring halls” between February and July of this year with community-based organizations and potential employers in an effort to bring both public- and private-job opportunities and career services to economically-disadvantaged communities. Nearly 90 percent of attendees and 96 percent of employers and partners surveyed left “satisfied” with their hiring hall experience. Today’s announcement comes as the city recently celebrated an approximate 30 percent reduction in Black and Latino unemployment since the start of the Adams administration. To find job opportunities, free training, and employment resources, New Yorkers can visit the Jobs NYC website.

“The vision of ‘Jobs NYC’ was to build a city where opportunity reaches every borough, block, and neighborhood. With this announcement, we have come one step closer to turning that vision into a reality and connecting more New Yorkers with a good-paying job,” said Mayor Adams. “‘Jobs NYC’ delivered more than just jobs — it helped forge relationships between private- and public-sector partners and underserved communities, provided free trainings and resource, and created opportunities right in the backyards of New Yorkers. While today our administration celebrates delivering city resources to zip codes that have been ignored for far too long, tomorrow, we continue the work of making sure each and every New Yorker can participate in the city’s shared economy prosperity.”

“From day one, the Adams administration has been committed to our promise of delivering well-paying jobs for working-class New Yorkers,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “In the past, our hardest working Black and Latino communities were also some of our most underserved communities. This administration said ‘no more’ and launched ‘Jobs NYC’ — an unprecedented multi-pronged effort that sought to address this historical injustice by bringing together an array of city agencies, private employers, and workforce partners to deliver career opportunities and resources. ‘Jobs NYC’ has been a resounding success, and I look forward to continuing this work to ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of their background, are provided with a strong path to economic mobility.”

“There is profound dignity and reward in work,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Whether serving at a local nonprofit, government, or corporate entity, jobs are a pathway to stability for individuals and families all over our city. ‘Jobs NYC’ has connected 8,500 people, and counting, to meaningful workforce resources, experience, and opportunities. We will continue to connect as many people as possible to work and we will continue tackling systemic and structural issues to make our city more affordable and livable for all.”

“This administration is dedicated to improving the lives of working-class people, and a critical piece of that is connecting New Yorkers to quality careers with family-sustaining wages,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “With ‘Jobs NYC,’ we sought to be extremely proactive in meeting New Yorkers where they are, bringing a breadth of public and private resources and career opportunities directly to them in their communities. The remarkable progress ‘Jobs NYC’ has made in its first six months in reaching and serving New Yorkers is proof that this approach works, and we look forward to developing ‘Jobs NYC’ as a model for how the city and our private partners can improve the lives of New Yorkers citywide.”

“The early success of the ‘Jobs NYC’ pilot program bolsters Mayor Adams’ vision for a targeted, place-based, and in-person campaign to match employers with job seekers in key communities,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar. “I’ve attended several ‘Jobs NYC’ hiring hall events throughout the summer, and each time I’m impressed by the driven New Yorkers who are taking advantage of the available training programs, job openings, and public benefits in order to propel themselves further along in their career trajectories. Their energy and enthusiasm were matched by our city agencies, nonprofit partners, and private employers — all of whom recognized that this city’s greatest resources are its people and the unique skills they bring to the workplace.”

“To meet people where they are, build an inclusive economy where every New Yorker contributes to and benefits from shared prosperity, and remove luck out of the equation, the Adams administration designed Jobs NYC as a whole-of-government strategy to bring resources, job opportunities, and training opportunities to communities — one in each borough with the highest unemployment rates,” said NYC Talent Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal. “‘Jobs NYC’ delivered by partnering closely with businesses, trusted community organizations, and city agencies to organize hiring halls where job seekers received employment services, including on-site interviews, job offers, and access to free and low-cost upskilling training programs.”

“Thanks to the visionary leadership of Mayor Adams, First Deputy Mayor Wright, and NYC Talent Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal, New York City's collective workforce resources are no longer a light beneath a bushel basket,” said New York City Small Business Services (SBS) Acting Commissioner Dynishal Gross. “‘Jobs NYC’ delivers resources to the New Yorkers who need them most, and connects them to the jobs, skills, and support needed to build stable, fulfilling careers. SBS and our network of Workforce1 Career Centers will continue to work with our partners across the city to realize the full potential of the ‘Jobs NYC’ model in the months and years to come, and to realize our shared mission of creating economic opportunity for all.”

Chaired by First Deputy Mayor Wright, with Deputy Mayors Torres-Springer, Almanzar, and Williams-Isom as co-chairs, Jobs NYC brings a whole-of-government approach to building a more equitable city through workforce development. Working across nearly two dozen city agencies, in addition to partnering with community organizations and private partners, the Adams administration’s revamped hiring halls took place in each borough on a monthly basis in areas of the city experiencing employment disparities. In addition to connecting New Yorkers with job opportunities in the municipal workforce — the hiring halls provided jobseekers with the unique opportunity to engage with multiple organizations, including employers interviewing for roles and community-based organizations connecting talent to training and other opportunities.  

In June 2023, DCAS began reducing barriers to employment within city government by reforming the city’s Minimum Qualification Requirements for entry level civil service titles. To date, DCAS has completed review on 17 entry-level titles with the potential to impact 20,000 jobs and expand eligibility for civil service positions that were previously restrictive and posed difficult for many applicants to meet minimum qualifications. Previous requirements for these positions mandated a college degree or credits, but with this updated review, the city is now more inclusive and equitable, focusing on relevant work experience and practical skills rather than formal education.

Building on the success of the previous hiring halls, NYC Talent and SBS will continue holding regular hiring halls, with the next one being held on September 26th from 10:00AM to 2:00PM at the Queens Workforce 1 Center at 16825 Jamaica Ave Ste 2, Jamaica, NY 11432.

The Adams administration has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in creating good-paying, family-sustaining, public- and private-sector jobs for New Yorkers. The administration has launched and advanced transformative projects in all five boroughs, including projects ranging from the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, to the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Brooklyn, to SPARC Kips Bay in Manhattan, to Willets Point in Queens, to the North Shore Action Plan on Staten Island. Cumulatively, these projects will create tens of thousands of permanent and temporary construction jobs, generate more than $100 billion in long-term economic impact, and cultivate good-paying, 21st-century job opportunities.

Additionally, the administration launched “Run This Town,” a multi-media advertising campaign to engage diverse New Yorkers and help them apply for thousands of available city government jobs. Both campaigns are expected to further reduce the unacceptable disparities in employment between Black, Latino, and white communities. The city is also on track to deliver over 14,000 apprenticeship opportunities by the end of 2024 — ahead of schedule and nearly halfway towards the moonshot goal announced last year at Mayor Adams’ 2023 State of the City address. 

NYC Talent announced expanded workforce services for New Yorkers with disabilities and celebrated a hiring milestone for this community. Further, earlier this summer, Mayor Adams announced the city’s first-ever community hiring effort, which will leverage more than $1.2 billion in city contracts to create job opportunities for underserved New Yorkers. Community hiring allows the city to use its purchasing power, set hiring goals across city procurement contracts, and build on the success of existing project labor agreements and agency-specific hiring programs.

In the last 19 months, Mayor Adams has successfully negotiated contracts with unions representing nearly 97 percent of the city's workforce and 100 percent of the city's uniformed workforce — the quickest any mayoral administration has reached that milestone in modern city history. These agreements with District Council 37, Communications Workers of America Local 1180, the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, Uniformed Sanitation Workers' Union Local 831, the United Federation of Teachers, the Police Benevolent Association, the Uniformed Officers Coalition, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, Teamsters Local 237, the United Probation Officers’ Association, and dozens of other unions have all included wage increases, including retroactive wage increases for employees that had not received a raise in years. Additionally, many of these contracts included dedicated funding to address retention and recruitment challenges and other important benefits, such as the child care fund established in the agreement with DC 37.

“The success of ‘Jobs NYC’ is a testament to the power of bringing resources directly to the communities that need them most,” said New York City Public Engagement Unit (PEU) Executive Director Adrienne Lever. “Our outreach efforts have shown us just how vital it is to meet New Yorkers where they are. By directly engaging with communities and spreading the word about the hiring halls, PEU is making it easier for people to connect with opportunities that can change their lives.”

“For young adults, especially those who are justice-involved or formerly incarcerated, a well-paying job is transformative — something I have seen up close when meeting with candidates, families, and friends at the hiring halls,” said New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard. “The success of ‘Jobs NYC’ has helped promote Mayor Adams’ forward vision to grow the city’s economy and provide equitable job opportunities in communities with the highest unemployment rates and crime. DYCD is proud to continue supporting the hiring halls by providing logistics, offering interviews and career guidance, and collecting resumes for future professional opportunities at DYCD. We look forward to putting even more New Yorkers on the path to career and life success.”

“When we take a people-centered approach that is also data-driven and focuses on the areas and communities in greatest need, we deliver on the promise of building a more vibrant city where all New Yorkers can thrive,” said Acting Chief Engagement Officer Crystal Price. “The Jobs NYC initiative delivers on the vision of making the City of New York a place where all New Yorkers can prosper. I am excited to support the continued success of ‘Jobs NYC,’ which seeks to empower our communities by connecting them to much-needed resources and opportunities.”

“With record job growth in the past year, Mayor Adams’ ‘Jobs NYC’ initiative is just another example of this administration’s commitment to growth and equity throughout the five boroughs,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “I applaud the Adams administration for their unwavering support for expanding training, workforce development, and employment opportunities for all New Yorkers.

“We are proud to be part of ‘Jobs NYC,’ the city’s innovative approach to bringing job opportunities and training to communities across the city,” said Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity Executive Director Carson Hicks. “It is exciting to see that its multi-pronged approach of hiring halls, the ‘Jobs NYC’ website, and other strategies is already making a real difference in the lives of New Yorkers.”

“With nearly 9,000 new job seekers connected with agencies and receiving training resources, the success of the ‘Jobs NYC’ initiative is a testament to our commitment to breaking down barriers and opening doors for all New Yorkers,” said New York City Department for Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Louis A. Molina. “At DCAS, we’re proud to have played a crucial role in this effort by not only helping to launch the hiring hall model, but also by leading the charge to reform the city’s Minimum Qualification Requirements, focusing on relevant experience rather than formal education. Through ‘Jobs NYC,’ we’re making it easier for thousands of New Yorkers to access stable, good-paying jobs within city government, creating lasting opportunities for economic equity across our city.”

“Breaking down barriers for diverse communities is a central focus of this administration. That’s why ‘Jobs NYC’ is taking bold, on-the-ground action to combat unemployment and inequality in collaboration with community partners,” said New York City Chief Equity Officer and New York City Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice Commissioner Sideya Sherman. “We are proud to support this whole-of-government effort to connect communities with quality public- and private-sector jobs, free training programs, and other critical resources. The impact is clear: as we celebrate this milestone, we remain committed to closing systemic gaps to unemployment and underemployment and ensuring opportunity for all.”

“Smart planning pays dividends in good jobs and economic benefits. We’re proud to have helped create a more vibrant and prosperous economy for New Yorkers by advancing transformative projects across the five boroughs and updating commercial zoning regulations with ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity,’” said New York City Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. “We are continuing to build on this work with ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ — a historic proposal that would lower housing costs for all New Yorkers, create over 250,000 jobs, and add $58.2 billion to the city’s economy.”

“Ensuring that opportunity and prosperity reaches every corner of the city requires a comprehensive approach, which prioritizes economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods and leverages the power of government to bring a diverse array of career training and opportunities directly to New Yorkers in these communities,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “‘Jobs NYC’ did just, and we are proud to have played a role in this initiative, which has helped thousands of New Yorkers access employment and career development resources. We thank all those who participated in these hiring halls and look forward to building on this progress through Human Resources Administration’s career services programs and in partnership with other agencies.”

“Mayor Adams’ ‘Get Stuff Done’ approach continues to prove that public-private partnerships can achieve great things for all New Yorkers, particularly those who’ve traditionally been left behind during times of economic growth,” said New York City Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael J. Garner. “Unfortunately, systemic disparities do not only exist in city contracting, but also in other important areas like gainful employment and career upward mobility, which prevent our most disadvantaged communities from partaking in the American Dream and its rewards. This administration’s successes in lowering both the Black and Hispanic unemployment rate by approximately 30 percent, among other key workforce development achievements, has the added benefit of allowing more communities to meaningfully participate in their local economies, invest in homeownership opportunities, and expand the city’s taxpayer base — allowing for critical municipal investments in areas of need. I commend all our partners who’ve made the hiring halls initiative a success.”

“We commend the Adams administration for connecting thousands of New Yorkers — including New York City Housing Authority residents — to career development resources through these hiring halls, some of which were held on our property,” said New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “As we know, equitable job opportunities can result in life changing outcomes, so NYCHA is proud to have assisted with outreach and recruitment at these events, and we applaud all of the partners and participants for making this ‘Jobs NYC’ initiative a reality.”

“The success of Mayor Adams’ hiring halls speaks volumes about the power of community-focused initiatives,” said New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. “Connecting thousands of New Yorkers to jobs and training opportunities is exactly what our city needs. The reduction in unemployment among Black and Latino communities is significant and shows real progress. We must continue to build on this momentum. This is how we create lasting change.”

“Today we reach a new milestone in our record job growth,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “In only six months, we hosted 26 hiring halls in neighborhoods with the highest unemployment, connecting 8,500 people with job placements and career development opportunities. We have uplifted thousands of our fellow New Yorkers, allowing them to stand on their own two feet. These hiring halls are a cornerstone of our work that has resulted in New York City having the most jobs in history. I am proud to partner with Mayor Adams in this work, helping to pass the community hiring bill in Albany to bring more job opportunities to our underserved communities in New York City. Together, we will make New York City the global epicenter of job creation, giving everyone access to unparalleled opportunity.”

“‘Jobs NYC’ is doing a great job of breaking down the barriers that often prevent New Yorkers— especially Black and Latino New Yorkers —from taking advantage of job opportunities,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “There is an abundance of untapped talent in Queens and across our city. ‘Jobs NYC’ is helping connect that talent with employers who are ready and willing to hire.”

“We are supportive of any effort to help people find a job,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. “We should do all we can to create a business-friendly climate in New York City to keep and to attract employers. We also applaud Mayor Adams’ initiative to maintain hiring halls that have been helpful for those who may be looking to start or advance in a career. We support Mayor Adams’ focus on growing the economy and highlighting opportunities for anybody looking for a job.”

“The Jobs Council commends the ‘Jobs NYC’ initiative for its success in connecting nearly 8,500 job-seeking New Yorkers to essential employment and training resources,” Kiersten Barnet, executive director, New York Jobs CEO Council. “This achievement highlights the impact of place-based workforce development strategies and the power of public-private partnerships to engage employers with the city’s talent pipeline”

“Today's announcement reflects the interest and investment that the Adams administration has put toward a ‘Working People's Agenda.’ As a partner in the city’s multi-pronged efforts to put more New Yorkers on pathways to quality jobs, we are encouraged by the results we see — more hires, less workforce ecosystem fragmentation,” said Gregory J. Morris, CEO, New York City Employment and Training Coalition. “How we—as a city—maintain our relentless and resourced commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensure the sustainable linkage of economic and workforce development, and prepare New York talent to meet the needs of our employers, particularly in emerging industries, will play a meaningful role in our city’s future success. The impact of these efforts will not only uplift individual lives, but will also strengthen the fabric of our communities, driving long-term prosperity for all New Yorkers.”

“The ‘Jobs NYC’ initiative is a vital step towards reducing barriers to economic opportunity and increasing access to employment directly to New York City communities. JobsFirstNYC has been happy to support the city’s efforts at six Hiring Halls by bringing our ‘Skills Mapping’ program to more than 400 individuals representing 49 zip codes across all five boroughs,” said Marjorie Parker, chief executive officer and president, JobsFirstNYC. “ JobsFirstNYC launched ‘Skills Mapping’ in partnership with SkyHive to help individuals understand their current skills, explore careers and related-skills in demand, connect to skills training, and match to jobs based on skills instead of degrees. Our unique skills mapping process equipped hiring hall attendees with increased awareness of available jobs and a strong understanding of how their skills align with those opportunities. It also revealed that many participants possess diverse essential or soft skills that make them well-suited for a variety of open positions, highlighting the untapped talent in our communities and reinforcing the importance of skills-focused hiring that prioritizes experience over degrees. By emphasizing diverse strengths, we can work towards bridging the gaps in our workforce and ensure that employers can access the qualified talent they need to thrive.”

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