Op-Ed | Spring jobs spring will lead to a summer of opportunity | amNewYork

New York City is in the middle of an economic boom, breaking record after record when it comes to creating jobs and opportunity. Just last week, we celebrated another record high for private-sector jobs in our city, with unemployment falling to 4.8 percent. There is also good news on the equity front, with Black unemployment at its lowest point in half a decade, having decreased by 26 percent since the start of 2022.

There is no question: our economy is strong. But we are committed to building on our success and expanding the scope of opportunity for all. That is why we are announcing our “Spring Jobs Sprint,” an all-out effort to connect New Yorkers with jobs.

We are not waiting around — we are bringing the jobs to the people.

Every month, we host hiring halls to bring both public- and private-sector job opportunities to neighborhoods across the five boroughs.

We have also recently launched “Run This Town,” a multi-media advertising campaign to engage diverse New Yorkers and help them apply for thousands of available city government jobs. The announcement follows the launch of “Jobs NYC,” a multi-pronged citywide effort to reduce barriers to economic opportunities and deliver workforce development services directly to communities that are experiencing high unemployment.

For our young people, especially young people of color, we are helping them discover their passion through our Pathways to an Inclusive Economy, Summer Rising, and Summer Youth Employment programs. And our Green Economy Action Plan is building an economy of the future with real pathways to family-sustaining careers.

Our goal? We want the “Spring Jobs Sprint” to lead to a “Summer of Opportunity,” with full employment and a renewed sense of optimism and energy in our city.

Over the coming weeks, we will be announcing new projects that will help create thousands of jobs, now and in the future — projects like

our recently announced transformation of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Red Hook. The largest city real estate transaction in recent history, this Red Hook deal will allow New York City to build a modernized maritime port on over 120 prime acres of Brooklyn coastline. This massive new opportunity zone has the potential to create thousands of new jobs, generate billions in economic impact, and help revitalize one of our most iconic maritime communities.

Like our recently-announced redevelopment at Willets Point in Queens, the Red Hook waterfront project will usher in a transformative new era for the world’s greatest city — and it all starts with jobs. Because a job is more than just a paycheck. Good jobs help us build a sense of meaning and give back to our communities. They are the foundation of strong families and vibrant neighborhoods.

New York City has always been a place you can make it, and this summer will highlight our strong economy and our ambitious job agenda. Our city didn’t recover the nearly 1 million jobs we lost during the pandemic by looking backwards — we did it by building an economy of the future.

This summer, let’s celebrate the rising tide that lifts all boats — and chart a new course for opportunity for all.