04.14.2016

NEW YORK – The Center for Popular Democracy and the Center for an Urban Future today released a report, A City of Immigrants: Building a Workforce Strategy to Support all New Yorkers, outlining a strategy to support New York City's large immigrant workforce. The study provides a new level of detail about the prominent role that immigrants play in the city’s labor force, but also finds that immigrants face significant challenges when it comes to accessing decent paying jobs and connecting to city-sponsored workforce development programs.

The study, which was funded by the Ford Foundation and the New York Foundation, comes a little more than a year after Mayor de Blasio launched an ambitious new approach to workforce development. While the report commends the de Blasio administration’s new Career Pathways framework, it concludes that the administration will need to better incorporate the city’s immigrant workforce into its new workforce development strategy. 

The report shows that foreign born residents make up 37 percent of the population and 47 percent of the city’s workforce. Additionally, immigrants participate in the city’s labor force at higher rates (66 percent) than native born New Yorkers (61 percent).

It also details which of the city’s industries have a disproportionately high share of immigrant workers. It reveals that foreign born New Yorkers account for 80 percent of the city’s cooks, 76 percent of the food prep workers, 77 percent of the construction laborers, 76 percent of the nursing, psychiatric and home health aides, 58 percent of registered nurses, 92 percent of sewing machine operators, 83 percent of jewelers and precious stone and metal workers, and 56 percent of the retail cashiers.

However, the report also finds that immigrant workers struggle in many ways. The study shows that 28 percent of foreign-born New Yorkers earn less than $25,000 annually, compared to 14 percent of native-born residents. Meanwhile, more than 23 percent of the city’s workers are limited English proficient (LEP). 

Despite these significant workforce needs, the report finds that the lack of coordination and of an immigrant-specific approach at the city level makes it difficult for immigrant New Yorkers to access workforce development services. In this report spotlighting the city's immigrant workforce, the Center for Popular Democracy and the Center for an Urban Future call for a coordinated approach to ensure immigrants can access appropriate workforce services, such as English language classes, adult education, training and certification programs. They also calls for a strategy to raise workplace standards for immigrants, including protecting and improving workplace rights and improving job quality in low-wage occupations where immigrants predominate.

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www.populardemocracy.org

The Center for Popular Democracy promotes equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. CPD builds the strength and capacity of democratic organizations to envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial justice agenda

ww.nycfuture.org

The Center for an Urban Future is a catalyst for smart and sustainable policies that reduce inequality, increase economic mobility and grow the economy in New York City. An independent, nonpartisan policy organization, CUF uses fact-based research to elevate important and often overlooked issues onto the radar of policymakers and advance practical solutions that strengthen New York and help all New Yorkers participate in the city’s rising prosperity.

Contact:

Asya Pikovsky, apikovsky@populardemocracy.org, 207-522-2442

Anita Jain, ajain@populardemocracy.org, 347-636-9761