Governor Kathy Hochul announced the State has identified more than 18,000 job openings with nearly 400 employers who are willing to hire migrants and asylum seekers who have attained legal work status in the United States. This announcement comes just one month after Governor Hochul directed the New York State Department of Labor to begin connecting businesses with job openings to migrants and asylum seekers who have attained legal work status. The Governor has focused on securing legal work status for migrants and asylum seekers, including successfully pressuring the federal government to grant Temporary Protected Status to individuals from Venezuela, so these individuals can leave the shelter system and begin living independently.
“Migrants and asylum seekers came here to work — so let’s put them to work,” Governor Hochul said. “Right now, we have a migrant crisis and a workforce crisis. By connecting work-eligible individuals with jobs and opportunities in New York, we can solve them both and secure a brighter future for all New Yorkers.”
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On August 24, Governor Hochul directed the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) to conduct outreach to employers and determine which job openings could be filled with migrants and asylum seekers. This initiative has identified more than 18,000 private-sector job openings at 379 companies who have identified roles that could be filled by individuals with legal work status. This includes job openings in accommodation and food services, healthcare and social assistance, manufacturing, and administrative support.
Employers were identified through a portal where they could inform the State that they would welcome newly authorized individuals into their workforce. Separately, a registration process where asylum seekers and migrants with work authorization can register for assistance has been established. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) and a team of 70 State personnel representing 16 State agencies have since led a robust outreach effort to identify business needs and assess asylum seekers and migrants’ skills and expertise.
In addition, the Governor announced the start of a public awareness campaign to help more employers articulate their business needs and welcome asylum seekers and migrants with work authorizations into their workforce. NYSDOL will expand their outreach to employers via social media and digital channels and begin circulating a digital flyer, which direct employers to the Department’s intake form.
Governor Hochul has identified work authorization as the path out of this crisis, allowing migrants and asylum seekers to leave taxpayer-funded shelters and begin living independently as generations of immigrants have done. After months of advocacy from Governor Hochul and a broad coalition of political, civic and business leaders, the White House announced plans to grant Temporary Protected Status to individuals who arrive in the United States from Venezuela on or before July 31, 2023; the City of New York estimates this will allow more than 15,000 Venezuelan individuals to attain legal work status within 30 days.
Additionally, the Governor has surged personnel and resources to case management, to help migrants and asylum seekers fill out the necessary paperwork to attain legal work status. This includes deploying 250 National Guard personnel assigned to full-time case management services, part of a deployment of more than 2,100 National Guard personnel to address this ongoing situation. The Governor has also deployed significant financial resources to support case management, including $20 million allocated to local nonprofits serving asylum seekers and migrants; $20 million to help New York City with a casework surge through NYC Health + Hospitals; $10 million for migrant legal services.
Governor Hochul has led a robust state response to this crisis. Overall, the State has committed $1.7 billion to support asylum seekers and migrants, including for shelter, transportation and social services; the State recently advanced $250 million to the City for these purposes. The State has also offered up multiple State-owned sites, such as the former Lincoln Correctional Facility in Manhattan and Building 197 at JFK Airport, to be used as shelters; the State is also covering the cost of multiple Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCs) at Creedmoor Psychiatric Facility and on Randall’s Island.
