New York City is making substantial investments in workforce development but neglects significant engines such as the arts, public libraries, and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). These sectors effectively connect thousands of New Yorkers to jobs and foster equitable opportunity. However, they face underfunding and exclusion from policy considerations. The arts contribute over $10.5 billion economically and support over 72,000 jobs annually, highlighting the inefficiency in excluding them from workforce strategies. Arts organizations struggle with financial instability that limits job quality and growth potential.
New York City is investing billions in workforce development yet continues to overlook three of its most powerful, scalable, and community-rooted workforce engines: the arts, public libraries, and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).
The arts generate over $10.5 billion in economic output and support more than 72,000 jobs each year across performance, design, education, and media, yet face chronic underfunding.
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