Report - December 2020
The Changing Face of Creativity in New York: Sustaining NYC’s Immigrant Arts EcosystemImmigrant artists are increasingly essential to the creative landscape of New York City. But now the livelihoods of countless immigrant artists—and the survival of the cultural organizations that champion their work—are facing major threats.
Report - December 2020
A Green Public Works Program for NYC: 40 Ideas from ExpertsTo understand how New York might take advantage of federal investment to create jobs and help the city mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, CUF asked city leaders in coastal resilience, environmental justice, urban agriculture, renewable energy, and more for sustainability and resiliency project ideas.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2020
Op-Ed: Making the gig economy work for New YorkersIn this Times Union op-ed, CUF Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin and Winston C. Fisher argue that New York’s leaders should bring together workers and industry to establish a bold plan to ensure that independent workers in all sectors can access universal, portable benefits, gaining financial security without losing flexible work.
Report - November 2020
CUNY’s Key Role in Expanding Access to Tech CareersPart of our ongoing research on how to create a more inclusive economy in NYC, this data brief shows that CUNY has made crucial progress in producing STEM grads. Tapping this talent pool, and making further gains in the years ahead, will be key to closing the opportunity gap for tech careers.
Report - October 2020
Surviving the Winter: Helping NYC’s Small Businesses in the Months AheadOpen streets and outdoor dining gave the city's small firms a lifeline, but with just a few weeks left until winter, it's time for the city and state to step in with new set of creative solutions to give shops and restaurants a crucial boost. CUF asked over twenty city leaders and experts for ideas and insights on how policymakers can help sustain restaurants and other small businesses through the colder months.
Testimony - October 2020
Supporting the Recovery of New York State’s Arts and Cultural CommunityIn this testimony before the NY State Senate Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, CUF editorial and policy director Eli Dvorkin outlines what New York State will need to do to lay the groundwork for a long-term recovery for the state’s cultural sector.
Testimony - September 2020
Supporting the Recovery of New York City’s Tourism EconomyIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, CUF data researcher Charles Shaviro and policy director Eli Dvorkin outline what the city will need to do to help lay the groundwork for a long-term tourism recovery.
Testimony - September 2020
Why I Support the Industry City RezoningIn this testimony before the NYC Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, CUF executive director Jonathan Bowles details his support for the Industry City rezoning, which can help New York build both a larger and a more inclusive innovation economy.
Report - September 2020
NYC Minority Businesses in Flux: Black- and Asian-Owned Businesses Grow While Hispanic-Owned DeclineA fresh analysis of newly released data on New York City's minority-owned employer businesses shows the increasing importance of these businesses to the economies of every borough, adding urgency to the challenges now facing minority-owned businesses during the COVID crisis.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2020
Staying a city of immigrants: Newcomers keep us strongIn this New York Daily News op-ed, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles urges the city to take initiative to prevent an exodus of New York immigrants, many of whom are facing unprecedented economic hardships, but are critical to the city's recovery.
Report - August 2020
Stark Disparities in Employment and Wages for Black New YorkersThe growing mass movement for racial justice has shined a light on harsh disparities affecting nearly every facet of American life—from criminal justice and policing to the health and economic effects of the pandemic. This new analysis examines disparities in employment and wages experienced by Black residents of New York City, finding widespread underrepresentation and alarming wage gaps across dozens of industries.
EventReport - August 2020
What NYC’s immigrant & minority-owned businesses need nowDuring the summer of 2020, CUF convened a three-part series of live-streamed discussions focused on specific policy solutions to support the city’s diverse small businesses. These discussions generated dozens of concrete ideas to help these businesses get through the crisis, including five key recommendations that surfaced during all three of our discussions.
Report - July 2020
Recovery Signs, New Lows: NYC Employment by Industry Since the Outbreak of CoronavirusWhile the coronavirus pandemic has affected nearly every part of New York City's economy, new research and analysis shows that the toll has differed strikingly by industry.
Report - June 2020
Under Threat & Left Out: NYC’s Immigrants and the Coronavirus CrisisImmigrant New Yorkers are enduring unprecedented economic pain from the pandemic—and yet they have been almost completely shut out of government programs created for those in need, CUF research and interviews with two dozen nonprofit leaders reveals.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2020
To help struggling small businesses, the city needs to reconsider its public spacesCUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and Winston C. Fisher call on the city to think bigger about opportunities for outdoor commerce. Access to open streets, parks, markets and fairs could make the difference for hundreds if not thousands of New York entrepreneurs who have endured three months of business closures and are desperate for customers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2020
Infrastructure Investment Can Restart the Economy, but Prioritize Fixing What We HaveA bold public works program would help put New Yorkers back to work while strengthening the city's economy for the long term. But New York’s infrastructure needs are different than they were during the 1930s. Today, what the city needs most is a massive campaign to upgrade and maintain the infrastructure it already has.
Report - May 2020
Bearing the Brunt: Where NYC’s Hard-Hit Sector Workers LiveWhile coronavirus has devastated much of NYC's economy, our research shows that the impacts are not equally dispersed across the city: workers in the most hard-hit sectors—including restaurants, hotels, retail, and personal care services—predominantly live in lower-income neighborhoods outside Manhattan.
Report - May 2020
Essential Yet Vulnerable: NYC’s Human Services Nonprofits Face Financial Crisis During PandemicIn the midst of an unprecedented surge in demand, NYC's human services nonprofits are confronting millions of dollars in unexpected costs and lost revenue. This report, based on interviews with over two dozen nonprofit leaders, documents the challenges facing New York’s human services nonprofits due to coronavirus.
Report - April 2020
Tech Disrupted: How Coronavirus is Challenging NYC’s Tech SectorWritten in partnership with Tech:NYC, this report provides a new level of detail about the impacts of the coronavirus crisis on NYC-based tech companies, based on interviews with nearly two dozen founders, executives, investors, and industry leaders.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2020
Amid Crisis, Mayors Can Build a Workforce for the Second Machine AgeThe economic fallout of Covid-19 combined with growing automation is poised to transform millions of jobs nationwide. Mayors should start developing plans to create a more adaptable workforce for a rapidly changing economy.
