Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2014
De Blasio’s time to lead on librariesIn this op-ed in the New York Daily News, the Center’s David Giles argues that the de Blasio administration should commit to a 10-year capital plan to address the library systems’ $1.1 billion in pressing capital needs and re-invigorate the city’s long-neglected branches.
Data - November 2014
NYC’s Growing Self-Employed PopulationNew York City is now home to nearly a quarter million self-employed workers, and this segment of the workforce increased by 31 percent between 2000 and 2012. As of 2012, 6.5 percent of the city’s working adults were self-employed, up from 5.7 percent in 2000.
Report - November 2014
Small Business SuccessA blueprint for turning more of New York City's small businesses into medium-sized and large businesses.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2014
A New Day at HRAThough the Human Resources Administration places more New Yorkers into jobs than any other city agency, providing clients with the support they need to find long-term employment has not been a priority for nearly 20 years. As new Commissioner Steven Banks prepares to take the agency in a new direction, CUF workforce fellow David Fischer outlines three principles for success.
Testimony - November 2014
A call to sustain New York’s economic vitality by improving infrastructureAt a November 2014 hearing before the New York City Council Committee on Economic Development and Transportation, the Center’s Adam Forman highlighted how improving New York’s infrastructure is vital to sustaining the city’s economic vitality, and proposed three ways that public officials could begin rehabilitating city-wide infrastructure.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2014
City Must Act to Close MTA Funding GapIn this op-ed in the Gotham Gazette, the Center’s Adam Forman argues that with almost half of the MTA’s five year capital budget still unfunded, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council should not only put pressure on Albany, but also allocate more city dollars in order to close the $15.2 billion funding gap as the city’s direct contribution to MTA has fallen from $950 million in 1989 to less than half of that in 2013.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2014
Fostering Better OutcomesMayor de Blasio is signing important legislation to find out and publicly report how foster youth fare in adulthood. But the city also needs to commit to acting on what it learns.
Report - September 2014
Re-Envisioning New York’s Branch LibrariesWhile more New Yorkers than ever are using the city’s public libraries, a significant share of the branches suffer from major physical defects and are poorly configured for how New Yorkers are using libraries today. This report provides a comprehensive blueprint for bringing these vital community institutions into the 21st Century.
Data - September 2014
Data from Re-Envisioning New York’s Branch LibrariesCharts and tables from our Re-Envsioning New York's Branch Libraries report which found that while more New Yorkers than ever are using the city’s public libraries, a significant share of the branches suffer from major physical defects and are poorly configured for how New Yorkers are using libraries today. The report provides a comprehensive blueprint for bringing these vital community institutions into the 21st Century.
Report - September 2014
Bridging the DisconnectNew York City is facing a youth unemployment crisis, but the city’s youth workforce development programs reach only a fraction of those in need of help and are too often misaligned to the developmental needs of young New Yorkers.
Data - September 2014
Data from Bridging the DisconnectCharts and tables from our Bridging the Disconnect report which found that while New York City is facing a youth unemployment crisis, the city’s youth workforce development programs reach only a fraction of those in need of help and are too often misaligned to the developmental needs of young New Yorkers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2014
Gotham Gazette: Desperately Needed Infrastructure Improvements Must Be Given Dedicated FundingIn this op-ed in Gotham Gazette, the Center’s Adam Forman argues that while dedicating part of the recent $4 billion settlement between New York State and BNP Paribas for infrastructure projects makes a world of sense, it will not be sufficient to tackling the city’s massive infrastructure needs. He urges to identify new dedicated revenue streams and ensure that existing revenue streams are no longer raided for other purposes.
Testimony - July 2014
A Call for Better Transit Outside of ManhattanAt a July 2014 hearing before the MTA Transportation Reinvention Commission, the Center’s David Giles highlighted New York City’s rapidly changing economic geography and called on the MTA to make addressing non-Manhattan commuting a top priority.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2014
The Federal Workforce Overhaul: Good News for New York City?After more than a decade of inaction, Congress has finally passed a new federal workforce law. In this July 2014 commentary, CUF senior fellow David Jason Fischer explains why the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act bodes well for New York City.
Testimony - June 2014
Testimony: Aging Infrastructure - New York City’s Gas, Steam and Water InfrastructureIn this testimony before a joint Economic Development, Environmental Protection and Consumer Affairs City Council hearing, the Center’s Adam Forman highlights numerous vulnerabilities in the City's gas, water and sewage infrastructure. He recommends that the city prioritize the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and better coordinate its capital planning process across agencies.
Testimony - June 2014
Testimony: Aging out of Foster CareAt a June 2014 City Council hearing on youth aging out of the foster care system, CUF Senior Fellow Thomas Hilliard testified on the importance of exploring the developmental outcomes of foster care, such as high school graduation rates, early predictors of dropout and use of city services after leaving care.
Data - May 2014
New York’s Design EconomyAs New York City opens its second annual design week, this data analysis documents the continued economic importance of New York City’s design sector. It shows that New York has 65 percent more designers than any other metro area in the U.S., and that employment at city design firms increased by nearly 10 percent since the 2008 recession.
Data - March 2014
The Start of a NYC Manufacturing Revival?This data analysis shows that New York City's manufacturing sector is finally showing signs of strength. The city lost at least 5,000 manufacturing jobs every year from 1997 to 2010, but over the past three years employment in the sector has held steady, with job totals in 2013 the same as in 2010.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2014
8 Ideas for Improving and Expanding NYC’s Workforce Development SystemIn this commentary, Center senior fellow David Jason Fischer lays out a number of specific steps that Mayor de Blasio should take to create a more effective workforce development system, from appointing a workforce czar to shifting the focus from job placements to skills building, job retention and career advancement.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2014
Rebuild NYC, create good jobsIn this New York Daily News op-ed, the Center's Jonathan Bowles and Adam Forman write that to succeed in tackling income inequality, one promising option for Mayor de Blasio is a public works program to modernize New York City’s aging infrastructure.