Multi-Pronged Effort to Connect More New Yorkers to Jobs and Training

Photo by Saulo Mohana on Unsplash

Targeting Areas with High Unemployment, Adams Administration Will Bring Public and Private “Hiring Halls” Directly to Communities, Launch New Jobs and Talent Portal

Adams Administration Has Already Reformed Requirements to Make City Jobs More Accessible

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced “Jobs NYC,” a new 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. The collaborative effort will focus on three core pillars: 1) revamping the administration’s “hiring halls” in an effort to bring public and private job opportunities and career services to economically-disadvantaged communities on a monthly basis in each borough, 2) launching a new Jobs.nyc.gov talent portal to connect New Yorkers to job and training opportunities, and 3) continuing to reform the city’s Minimum Qualification Requirements to make certain entry-level jobs within city government are more accessible. In June 2023, Mayor Adams removed the bachelor’s degree requirement for certain city jobs.

“While we have a lot to celebrate in recovering all of the private-sector jobs lost during the pandemic — more than a year ahead of schedule — our recovery has not been equitable and it has not yet reached every New Yorker. That’s why we are doing everything we can to make sure New York City remains a city for working-class people,” said Mayor Adams. “Black unemployment is still far too high in New York City and across the nation, but Jobs NYC will bring a whole-of-government effort to meet New Yorkers where they are — helping to build an economy of the future with real pathways to family-sustaining careers. This is how we ensure all New Yorkers, particularly those in Black and Brown communities, have access to the jobs of the 21st century, and this is how we can continue to recruit a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of our city. Jobs NYC will help us build a city where opportunity reaches every borough, block, and neighborhood.”

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 will revamp the already popular hiring halls. Not only will these hiring hall take place in each borough on a monthly basis in areas of the city experiencing employment disparities, but — in addition to connecting New Yorkers with job opportunities in the municipal workforce — these events will now provide 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.  

To deliver job and training opportunities citywide, the Adams administration also launched the Jobs NYC online talent portal, a free resource managed by the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development and accessible through the MyCity portal that connects job seekers to career opportunities, free employment services, and occupational-skills trainings for opportunities in both the public and private sectors.

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 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.

Today’s announcement builds on a series of policy reforms made by Mayor Adams to retain top talent in the city workforce, provide high-quality services to New Yorkers, and create equitable pipelines to enter the city’s workforce, which has historically been a vehicle for economic mobility for millions of New Yorkers. Last month, Mayor Adams made city government more family-friendly for thousands of employees by expanding both paid parental and family leave for non-union city workers. Impacting over 10,000 municipal employees and making the city more competitive with municipalities and employers across the country, the Adams administration doubled paid parental leave for non-union employees, from six to 12 weeks, and began providing up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for those caring for seriously ill family members.

In the last 13 months, Mayor Adams has successfully negotiated contracts with unions representing 95 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 (UFT), the Police Benevolent Association, the Uniformed Officers Coalition , the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, Teamsters Local 237, 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.

Additionally, in an effort to retain talent in the human services sector, just two weeks ago, Mayor Adams announced a $741 million investment for an estimated 80,000 human services workers employed by non-profit organizations with a city contract as part of a new cost-of-living adjustment.