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Assessing NYC’s Plan to Create 100,000 Good Jobs

Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2017

Assessing NYC’s Plan to Create 100,000 Good Jobs

Mayor de Blasio deserves credit for developing a plan to create 100,000 good jobs. But a recent CUF forum made it clear that there are several other promising ideas that, if added to the city’s plan, could bolster middle class job creation and help more low-income New Yorkers access them.

by Center for an Urban Future

Tags: economic growth workforce development middle class jobs project low income

Read the full report (PDF) 

New York City can boast 975,000 more jobs than 20 years ago, nearly 700,000 of which were added in the past decade. However, New York’s recent job growth has been fueled by the highest and lowest-paid sectors. To drive economic growth that expands economic opportunity, New York needs more jobs in the middle. Those jobs won’t appear on their own: Of the ten sectors projected to add the most jobs in New York City over the next decade, seven are low wage, three are high wage, and none are in middle-wage industries. 

As part of our Middle Class Jobs Project, the Center for an Urban Future (CUF) organized a forum on September 20, 2017, at the New School to discuss New York Works, the de Blasio administration’s plan to create 100,000 well-paying jobs over the next decade. The event was moderated by Winston C. Fisher, a partner at Fisher Brothers and co-chair of the New York City Regional Economic Development Council, with keynote remarks from Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen. The forum is part of our ongoing Middle Class Jobs Project, a research initiative funded by Fisher Brothers and Winston C. Fisher. 

Four important takeaways emerged from the discussion:

1. To create good jobs, help ensure more of the city’s small businesses can grow.
2. Develop a good jobs ecosystem—a foundation of strong policies that create the conditions for growth.
3. Invest in infrastructure upgrades as a good jobs strategy.
4. Help more New Yorkers access the good jobs that exist today, as well as the new ones being created.
• Make workforce development a priority.
• Invest in college and career readiness to prepare more New Yorkers for jobs in growing industries.

Click here to these explore ideas from our expert panel, which included: 

  • Marlene Cintron, President, Bronx Overall Development Corporation
  • Dan Garodnick, New York City Council Member and Chair, Economic Development Committee 
  • Seth Pinsky, Executive Vice President, RXR Realty; former President, New York City Economic Development Corporation 
  • Kevin P. Ryan, Founder and Chairman, MongoDB, Zola, Workframe, and Nomad Health.
  • Jonathan Bowles, Executive Director, Center for an Urban Future
  • Moderator: Winston Fisher, Partner, Fisher Brothers; Co-Chair of the NYC Regional Economic Development Council 

Photo Credit: Guilherme Cunha/Unsplash

The Middle Class Jobs Project is a research initiative made possible by the generous support of Fisher Brothers and Winston C. Fisher. 

General operating support for the Center for an Urban Future is provided by The Clark Foundation and the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation. 

Center for an Urban Future (CUF) is an independent, nonprofit think tank that generates innovative policies to create jobs, reduce inequality and help lower income New Yorkers climb into the middle class. For 20 years, CUF has published accessible, data-driven reports on ways to grow and diversify the economy and expand opportunity that are anchored in rigorous research, not preconceived notions about outcome. Our work has been a powerful catalyst for policy change in New York City and serves as an invaluable resource for government officials, community groups, nonprofit practitioners and business leaders as they advocate for and implement policies to address some of New York’s biggest challenges and opportunities.