New York is considering relaxing the qualifications needed for thousands of jobs to hire immigrants who can legally work in the US.
Officials in Albany hope to create a system in which migrants who have received federal work permits can join the state workforce, according to the New York Post.
New York agencies have identified some 40,000 state jobs that migrant workers could potentially do, according to a memo written by the State Civil Service Commission.
Many of the “hard-to-recruit entry-level titles” require basic qualifications, including proficiency in the English language and proof of education and previous employment – but foreign workers should be allowed to ignore these.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s office says the initiative would “provide temporary employment opportunities available to anyone who can legally work in the United States.”
Just under 3,000 of the tens of thousands protected by the state have been federally authorized to work
In a statement, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul said she has “prioritized modernizing our state workforce and eliminating red tape, and has implemented a series of reforms to achieve that goal.”
“This initiative, which has not yet been implemented, would provide temporary employment opportunities available to anyone who can legally work in the United States,” she added.
Timothy Hogues, commissioner of the State Department, said during a budget hearing on Tuesday that the department is “very excited about this.”
He explained that the recommended changes would be similar to pre-existing requirements for apprenticeship programs, and that, if adopted, the reduced requirement standard would apply to all New Yorkers.
“This is no different to our internships and apprenticeships that we have, which allow individuals to upskill or take time to meet qualifications,” he said.
“This is just one bigger part of our holistic approach to opening up government, making these jobs available and breaking down the barriers.”
Some of the jobs for which migrants – with no educational background and possibly the ability to speak English – would be considered qualified under the new proposal include: caring for mentally disabled individuals, food service work and administrative positions.
The memo argues that allowing migrants with approval from the federal workforce to fill these positions would be a “win-win situation” for the state and its agencies, who will be better able to “recruit qualified and motivated individuals connecting to meaningful jobs and opportunities; help solve the migrant crisis; and rebuild the state workforce.”
Hochul has previously said her office has identified more than 40,000 open positions in the state for which employers are willing to onboard migrant workers.
When it comes to obtaining federal work permits, the process is slow for some of the 47,000 migrants currently housed in New York.
The Post reports that only 2,850 people had been approved for work as of last November.
According to the administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, 172,400 people have gone through their intake system since spring 2022
Roberto Medina serves chicken and hot chocolate from a makeshift food stand outside a migrant shelter on New York’s Randalls Island on Friday, January 19, 2024
People, mostly newly arrived migrants, receive a midday meal from Trinity Services and Food For the Homeless on January 24, 2024, across from Tompkins Square Park
New York City in particular has struggled under the weight of tens of thousands of migrants arriving at its borders in need of places to stay and other accommodations.
In 2023 alone, the city had to deal with the arrival of more than 100,000 migrants.
New York Mayor Eric Adams has called for state and federal aid as it is estimated that the migrant crisis will cost the city $12 billion over the next three years – an amount that the Hochul administration will likely try to offset somewhat with the new work plan.
New York is a Right to Shelter state and is required to house asylum seekers, but shelters have been filling up at an astronomical rate.
In Manhattan, a number of historic hotels have been converted into makeshift shelters and temporary housing.
In September, Hochul said: “We need to make it clear that if you come to New York, you won’t have more hotel rooms, we don’t have capacity.
‘So we must also make it clear that we have reached the limit: if you are going to leave your country, go somewhere else.’