Op-Ed | Jobs NYC: Connecting more New Yorkers to good-paying jobs

Since day one, this administration has had a clear mission: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make our city more livable for everyday New Yorkers. Every day, we are delivering on that vision. We have recovered all of the private-sector jobs lost during the pandemic, one year ahead of schedule; overall crime is down across the city this year, as it was last year; and we are improving the quality of life for the 8.3 million New Yorkers who call this city home.

But while our city has recovered from the pandemic, our recovery has not benefitted every New Yorker equitably. Black unemployment still remains far too high in our city and we cannot allow this trend to continue — that is why we are doing everything we can to make sure New York City remains a city for working-class people. 

Last week, we took a big step forward with the launch of Jobs NYC, a whole-of-government approach to bringing job and career training opportunities to communities that have been overlooked for too long. As part of Jobs NYC, we are kicking off a series of hiring halls in neighborhoods facing employment disparities. These events meet New Yorkers where they are, bringing well-paying public- and private-sector job opportunities to New Yorkers across the five boroughs.

We also launched an all-new jobs portal, jobs.nyc.gov. Job seekers can now pick up their phones to visit this brand-new website or go in-person to a hiring hall to find new job opportunities. This is all-hands-on-deck effort to make it easier and more accessible than ever for all New Yorkers to participate in our thriving economy.

Further, Jobs NYC builds on action we took last year to reform our minimal qualification requirements for certain entry level city jobs, including removing college degree requirements for numerous positions. We have thousands of open jobs in city government, from school safety agents to tech roles. In the past, there have been too many historical barriers preventing New Yorkers from becoming employed. These commonsense reforms are making good-paying jobs more accessible than ever because we want more New Yorkers to join Team New York.

We also want people to who work for city government to have access to the many benefits that meet the needs of working-class families. Last month, we 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 private employers across the country, we 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 a seriously ill family member.

I am proud to be a blue-collar mayor who was formerly in a union. That is also why we have worked tirelessly to ensure that the City of New York’s labor sector have updated and improved contracts. In the last 13 months, we have negotiated contracts with unions representing 95 percent of the city’s workforce and 100 percent of the city’s uniformed workforce, securing our hard-working public servants better benefits and higher pay.

Our administration understands that a job is more than what we do in the waking hours of our lives; a job is what enables us to achieve the American Dream. That is why we have made historic investments to connect New Yorkers with the career and training opportunities they need to earn good-paying jobs.

And we are committed to making sure that all New Yorkers, particularly those in Black and Brown communities, share in the prosperity of our city. Jobs NYC will help us recruit the next generation of public servants and leaders who will help us build a more equitable New York City, in which everyone has access to a good job that will help them support a family and build a sense of mission and pride.

Together, let’s keep New York City the best city in the world to live — and work — in.