Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2017
Measuring what Matters in Worker Training and EducationA bill before the New York State Legislature seeks to create three regional clearinghouses for labor market data. These research centers would help colleges and workforce development programs across the state harness data to make their programs more effective. With belt-tightening on the menu in Washington, creating these clearinghouses is vital to ensure that New York State’s limited human capital dollars go as far as possible.
Report - March 2017
In Good Health: The Growth Potential of New York City’s Digital Health SectorThe digital health sector has emerged as one of the fastest growing parts of New York City’s tech ecosystem—and an increasingly important generator of well-paying jobs. Today, New York is the nation’s second-largest center for digital health innovation, behind only Silicon Valley.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2017
Building a Better Partnership for New York’s Human Services SectorNew York City has long relied on the partnership between nonprofit human services organizations and government to care for its residents in need. But today that partnership is dangerously frayed. In the inaugural edition of CUF Conversations, the CEOs of two major NYC human services organizations argue that the city needs a new public-private contract to sustain these critical services in the future.
Data - March 2017
The Unkindest Cuts: New York Has the Most to Lose if the NEA Is AbolishedThe Trump administration's plans to dismantle the National Endowment for the Arts will hurt hard-working artists across the country. Nowhere will these cuts be felt more deeply than in New York City, which receives one out of five NEA grants, worth $15.5 million in 2016. These funds support everything from major museum exhibitions to upstart performance groups, and, above all, good jobs for thousands of New Yorkers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2017
Op-ed: Adults stranded without a credential: The high school equivalency emergencyIn New York, there's no shortage of big ideas in public education. Unfortunately, this does not extend to an area long neglected: adult education. The state’s high school equivalency reaches fewer than 1 percent annually of the 1.6 million adults who lack a diploma—and those efforts are trending in the wrong direction.
Data - March 2017
Taking to TASC: Too Few New Yorkers Are Passing the High School Equivalency ExamAfter the New York State Department of Education switched from the GED to a new high school equivalency exam, TASC, in 2014, the number of New York adults obtaining their HSE fell by half. The Center’s report is a first-ever look at the number of the New Yorkers that are taking and passing the new HSE exam since New York State changed test providers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2017
The Numbers Behind the Immigration DebateAfter the Trump administration launched its ban on refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries last month, the Center for an Urban Future took a deep dive into our research on immigration to elevate the facts. Here is what we found.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2017
Op-Ed: California shows New York how to boost college completion along with affordabilityThe governors of New York and California both issued bold proposals this month placing public colleges and universities at the top of the agenda. Governor Cuomo's investment should be coupled with new strategies to make sure more students reach graduation day. For this, New York should look to the Golden State.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2017
7 Ways New York State Can Expand Economic Opportunity in 2017As Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature set their agenda for 2017, a key theme should be economic opportunity: why it’s vital to take action now and how the state can help more New Yorkers take advantage of today’s economy. These seven policy proposals elevate practical ideas that New York’s leaders can use to invest wisely in its residents.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2017
Op-Ed: New York Can Help Students Afford College—and GraduateGovernor Cuomo’s proposal to make public college tuition free for all New Yorkers, while a bold idea and smart investment, could have an even more powerful impact. New York should make public college tuition-free. At the same time, the state should take steps to help students complete their studies and make the most of this crucial investment.
Report - December 2016
The New Normal: Supporting Nontraditional Students on the Path to a DegreeThe population of nontraditional students is growing—including part-time students, older students, and students with work and family responsibilities—but New York has been slow to develop policies and programs that can help these students succeed.
Report - December 2016
State of the Chains, 2016Our ninth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City shows that the number of chain store locations across the city increased for the eighth year in a row, driven by growth in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, but slowed by a shrinking footprint in Manhattan.
Testimony - November 2016
How to Boost Disconnected YouthIn this testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Youth Services, CUF's senior researcher Christian Gonzalez-Rivera presents several recommendations from our Bridging the Disconnect study on how the city’s youth workforce development programs reach only a fraction of those in need of help.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2016
Op-Ed: To Grow Middle-Class Jobs, Shift Focus From Startup to Scale UpNew York City is humming with small-business activity. As small businesses expand, they create more mid-level positions and increase benefits for their workers, including paid sick leave, paid time off, and subsidized healthcare. When it comes to creating middle-income jobs in New York City, it’s time to think small.
Report - November 2016
Innovation and the CityAs urban growth has exploded over the past half century, cities have become the drivers of government innovation. From New York to Medellin to Copenhagen, mayors and city managers are finding novel ways to address some of the biggest challenges facing society, whether combating entrenched poverty, financing new infrastructure projects, or protecting the environment. Yet for all the innovative policies taking root in cities across the globe, there are few reliable mechanisms to share what is working. This report aims to fill the gap.
Report - November 2016
Scale Up New York: Creating Middle Class Jobs By Growing New York City’s Small BusinessesDespite the surge in the number of new small businesses and start-ups, too few of these companies manage to achieve sustained growth. A strategy to help small companies scale up is one of New York’s greatest unrealized opportunities for economic and employment growth—and one of the best chances to expand the number of middle-class jobs.
Data - October 2016
Where Immigrant New Yorkers Go to WorkImmigrants form an essential part of New York City's workforce. This data brief reveals where the city's immigrants go to work, including industries with a surprisingly high proportion of immigrant workers and others where immigrants are almost completely left out.
Data - September 2016
Jobs in Transit: Opportunity in the Transportation SectorThe transportation sector is growing in New York City, creating opportunities for accessible middle-wage jobs across the five boroughs. This data brief, the latest publication of our Middle Class Jobs Project, documents the industry's recent job gains, which have outpaced the city's overall economic growth over the past two years.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2016
Op-ed: Arts Funding Strategy Should Keep Pace with Brooklyn’s GrowthThe geography of art and culture in New York City has changed profoundly over the past two decades. Soaring rents have pushed artists to disperse, with studios, galleries, music venues, and performing art spaces opening throughout the five boroughs. City funding, however, has not shifted to reflect the changing landscape.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2016
Op-ed: Push hard to create more good NYC jobsMayor Bill de Blasio has made universal pre-K a reality and launched an ambitious plan to build and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing. The next plank of the mayor’s inequality agenda should be a strategy to create middle-class jobs.
