NYC Mayor Eric Adams and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon See Potential for Ramping Up Efforts to Narrow the City’s Opportunity Gap

New York Jobs CEO Council Executive Director Kiersten Barnet moderated a fireside chat on the importance of high-quality education and job training for young, low-income New Yorkers

May 2, 2024, NEW YORK, NY — On Tuesday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon joined a fireside chat moderated by New York Jobs CEO Council (Jobs Council) Executive Director Kiersten Barnet, to discuss priorities and strategies for strengthening New York City’s talent pipeline. Dimon is a founding member and Executive Chair for the Jobs Council, a nonprofit working to scale sustainable, market-driven workforce development solutions to advance economic opportunity for low-income New Yorkers. The Jobs Council has partnered with Mayor Adams’ administration, the City University of New York (CUNY) system, nonprofit organizations, and thirty globally-recognized companies to build a talent pipeline that has already connected nearly 40,000 young people with professional jobs and apprenticeships. 

“When we came into office, the unemployment rate among Black New Yorkers was over 10 percent, but thanks to our administration’s efforts, there has been a 26 percent decrease and Black unemployment now sits at a five-year low,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “There were no entryways onto the highway of employment, so we zeroed in on that problem by looking more closely at how we are preparing kids for the jobs of tomorrow. We worked with the Jobs Council to create an apprenticeship program to help get New York City public school students into paid, hands-on learning opportunities, and we created hiring halls to connect New Yorkers with both public- and private-sector job opportunities, help them with resume and interview prep, and so much more. We have more work to do and that’s why — through our ‘Run This Town’ campaign — we are going to highlight new opportunities in city government for working-class residents all across the five boroughs who have been overlooked for far too long. Our administration is embarking on a new, exciting chapter in New York City’s history, and working-class job seekers have an opportunity to write it together with us.”

The fireside chat was held at JPMorgan Chase’s New York City headquarters in an event co-hosted by the National Talent Collaborative — a community of regional impact groups and national organizations committed to building pathways to good jobs for more Americans.

“You can’t fix problems you don’t admit to — and education is a big one because it’s the path to opportunity. Over 250,000 students go to CUNY schools, but only half graduate within four years. And students aren’t learning important skills like financial literacy or coding that will prepare them for jobs,” said JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon. “That’s why the Jobs Council is building a blueprint for a better system. We’re working with schools to help them understand the type of skills that employers like JPMorgan Chase are looking for, as well as working with businesses to help them create more equitable pathways for employment.”

“In New York City, we’re very lucky to have both public sector leadership with Mayor Adams’ administration and private sector leaders like Jamie Dimon aligned on the belief that every New Yorker needs a pathway to a family sustaining career, and all businesses need access to local talent to thrive,” said Jobs Council Executive Director Kiersten Barnet. “The Jobs Council is working with the City to strengthen the talent pipeline to make it work better for businesses and communities.”

The Jobs Council has set a goal of helping 100,000 New Yorkers, including 25,000 CUNY students, secure family-sustaining jobs by 2030. The organization builds public-private partnerships to align business and education, advance earn-and-learn career pathways, and connect skilled talent to in-demand jobs and internships. 

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The New York Jobs CEO Council is a nonprofit membership intermediary that works to scale sustainable, market-driven workforce development solutions that benefit both jobseekers and businesses. Led by CEOs of large employers, the Jobs Council is committed to hiring 100,000 low-income New Yorkers into in-demand careers, including 25,000 jobseekers from the City University of New York (CUNY), by 2030. Jobs Council activities are rooted in the belief that stronger employment outcomes are required to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth in New York City.

Photos can be found here, audio and video from the event is available on request.

Media Contact: Diana Arias, DArias@jobscouncil.org