New York State Unemployment Strikeforce

New York State’s unemployment rate is 5.8% in comparison to the national average of 5.6%.  Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed aid to decrease the slightly higher unemployment rate.  Although the private sector makes up majority of employment in New York State, it is imperative that the New York State Government supports local businesses.  The Governor released a statement to allow $5.4 million dollars to help businesses grow by training and hiring unemployed, unskilled workers. This money will be used to expand local workforces, On-the-Job, and apprenticeship training.   The Unemployment Strikeforce will be the overseer in funding up to $100,000 per businesses to support the aforementioned training programs. The program was created with two goals in mind. The first goal is to find a way to reduce the unemployment rates within counties with the highest twelve-month average unemployment. The second goal is to make sure that investing money would develop the workforce effectively. A real job must be waiting at the end of training for the employee or the state would make the initial investment.

Governor Cuomo implemented the program in the Bronx in May of 2014 and has made significant impacts in the community.  Since the initiation of the program, 7,000 people from the Bronx have been placed in jobs. The Bronx was originally selected because the unemployment rate was 6.5%, over half a percent higher than New York State’s average.  The Governor states that this is a program that can be implemented in many other counties within New York State with relatively high unemployment rates.  In Cuomo’s State of the State Address, he mentioned that the Unemployment Strikeforce would be expanded to Jefferson, Lewis, Kings, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Orleans, Montgomery, Franklin and Steuben counties throughout 2015. While the initial investment may be a lot of money, the long-term outcome has unlimited potential.

Information retrieved from:  http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/54-million-available-help-businesses-train-hire-formerly-unemployed-individuals

Information on applying for funding:  http://labor.ny.gov/strikeforce/strikeforce.shtm

Picture retrieved from: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/who_has_the_worst_unemployment_in_new_york_state.html