Report - October 2017
Making the Connection: Aligning Small Businesses and the Workforce Development SystemSmall businesses have been sparking much of the recent job growth in New York City. However, there is a major disconnect in the city's workforce development system when it comes to working with small businesses. This report explores how to achieve greater alignment between the city’s thousands of small businesses and the workforce development system.
Report - July 2017
Freight Forward: Boosting NYC’s Sagging Air Cargo Sector Should be Part of NYC’s Good Jobs StrategyWith global trade again on the rise, nearly every major airport in the country is experiencing increases in air cargo volumes. But New York’s dominant air cargo hub, JFK International Airport, is trending in the opposite direction.
Report - July 2017
Artists in Schools: A Creative Solution to New York’s Affordable Space CrunchDespite fears that New York City is no longer welcoming to artists, there are more artists living here now than ever before, and the share of artists has increased in the majority of the city's neighborhoods. Yet the same forces that have led artists to spread across the five boroughs have made it harder for them to find work spaces. The arts facilities available in local schools, many concentrated in the same neighborhoods as artists, offer one possible solution to the affordable space crunch.
Report - May 2017
The Aging Apple: Older Immigrants a Rising Share of New York’s SeniorsThe growth in New York’s older immigrant population is far outpacing that of the U.S. born senior population. There are now more people over the age of 65 in the city than there are children ages 10 and younger. And for the first time since the end of World War II, the share of older New Yorkers who were born outside of the U.S. reached 49.5 percent—nearly equal to the native-born share.
Report - April 2017
More Time in the Stacks: Library Hours in NYC Still Lag Behind Other Big CitiesCUF's third annual assessment of library hours compares New York City’s public libraries with library systems in the nation’s ten largest cities and New York State’s ten largest counties. Although New York City’s branch libraries are now open significantly more hours per week than at any point in the past decade, NYC's libraries are still open fewer hours than most of the largest library systems in the nation and large New York State counties.
Report - April 2017
Slow BuildThis report finds significant problems with NYC’s process for managing capital construction projects for libraries and cultural institutions, with the median capital project taking more than four years and costing roughly twice as much as a new office building. The study, a collaboration between CUF and the Citizens Budget Commission, puts forth recommendations for creating a more cost-efficient capital construction process for libraries, cultural groups and other nonprofit organizations.
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.
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.
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.
Report - July 2016
Building the Workforce of the FutureIn November 2014, New York City launched Career Pathways, the de Blasio administration’s signature overhaul of the workforce development system. This in-depth, independent report highlights the initial successes of Career Pathways, identifies areas where progress has stalled, and offers concrete recommendations to improve the new system's reach and effectiveness.
Report - July 2016
Making It Here: The Future of Manufacturing in New York CityA new wave of modern manufacturing companies are adding jobs across New York City, breathing new life into a sector that had been left for dead. Three of the city's manufacturing fields are particularly well positioned for growth in the years ahead: 3D printing, metal and wood fabrication, and food.
Report - April 2016
A City of Immigrant Workers: Building a Workforce Strategy to Support All New YorkersImmigrants make up nearly half of New York City’s labor force but face significant challenges when it comes to accessing decent paying jobs and connecting to city-sponsored workforce development programs. With Career Pathways, Mayor de Blasio’s ambitious new approach to workforce development, the administration has an important opportunity to better incorporate the city’s immigrant workers into its workforce development strategy.
Report - March 2016
Breaking ThroughWomen entrepreneurs of all ages, races and ethnicities are having an increasingly large impact on New York City’s economy. But even as the number of female-owned firms is soaring in every borough, the city has only begun to harness the full potential of women entrepreneurs.
Report - December 2015
State of the Chains, 2015Our eighth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City shows that growth in chain store locations across the city slowed considerably over the last year, with only Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens experiencing a net increase in the number of national retailers.
Report - June 2015
Creative New YorkFrom museums to film studios, the creative sector is one of New York City’s most important economic assets. But the city’s working artists, nonprofit arts groups and for-profit creative firms face a growing number of challenges.
Report - May 2015
Seeking a State Workforce StrategyAs New York’s economy continues to grow, the state needs a workforce development strategy that prepares and connects New Yorkers to careers.
Report - December 2014
State of the Chains, 2014Our 7th annual ranking of national retailers in New York City shows the largest year-over-year increase in the number of chain stores in four years, with Queens experiencing the fastest growth in new stores.
Report - December 2014
Tapped OutWhile a growing number of New Yorkers are enrolling in community colleges on a part-time basis, the state’s main financial aid program is out of reach for most of them.
