New Report Examines the Labor Market Trends and Structural Challenges Shaping New York City’s Future of Work

New York City has more jobs today than at any point in its history. And yet, one-third of its workers are earning less than they were before the pandemic.

That tension sits at the heart of Making Growth Matter, a new report and interactive data dashboard HR&A Advisors released today with Association for a Better New York (ABNY) and NYC Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) — examining the labor market conditions, industry trends, and structural shifts reshaping work across the five boroughs.

The data tells a complicated story. NYC surpassed its pre-pandemic employment peak, but the recovery isn’t reaching everyone. Brooklyn added 129,000 net new jobs since 2019, while Manhattan is still 39,000 short. Black New Yorkers are the only group whose unemployment rate rose over the past decade. Healthcare is driving most of the city’s job growth, but at wages that leave workers unable to afford median rent. And while New York is creating jobs nearly twice as fast as housing units, it’s an imbalance that is worse than any other major U.S. metro, further exacerbating New York’s affordability crisis.

We believe cities grow stronger when economic strategy is built on evidence. That’s why we built this analysis — not just to document the gaps, but to give policymakers, employers, and civic leaders the data foundation to close them. Explore the full report and interactive dashboard at makinggrowthmatter.nyc.

Check out this Crain’s New York Business article for more on what the findings mean for the city’s future.