Amazon and its 50,000 well-paying jobs is nothing to sneeze at. Most of New York City’s recent employment growth has been fueled by jobs at the very top and bottom of the economic ladder, with far too few in the middle. But with millions of New Yorkers struggling to get by at a time of skyrocketing rents and stagnant wages, New York needs to ensure that everyone will benefit when good jobs are created. The city needs to go beyond pulling out all the stops to land Amazon and push like never before to invest in the skills New Yorkers need to succeed if it comes.

In this City & State op-ed, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and CUF Policy Director and Fisher Fellow Matt A.V. Chaban argue that a bold proposal to land 50,000 good jobs deserves an equally ambitious plan to invest in the city’s workforce. 

Read this op-ed here.

This op-ed is a continuation of the Center for an Urban Future's extensive research on human capital and workforce development, including Building the Workforce for the Future, a major report assessing New York City's Career Pathways initative, and the groundbreaking Bridging the Disconnect report on the youth unemployment crisis.

^{Photo Credit: Piotr Cichosz/ Unsplash}