Hochul Identifies More Than 1K Jobs On Long Island For Migrants

LONG ISLAND, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul has announced 18,000 jobs statewide available for asylum seekers and migrants as part of a statewide initiative to move individuals out of shelters and into independent living circumstances.

On Long Island, Hochul has identified 1,294 jobs — with 2,896 available in the Hudson Valley and 9,801 in New York City.

Nearly 400 employers are willing to hire the migrants and asylum seekers who have attained legal work status in the United States, Hochul said.

The announcement came a month after 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. Hochul said she 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 those 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," Hochul said. "Right now, we have a migrant crisis and a workforce crisis. By connecting work-eligible individuals with jobs and opportunity in New York, we can solve them both and secure a brighter future for all New Yorkers."

On August 24, Hochul directed the NYSDOL to conduct outreach to employers and determine which job openings could be filled with migrants and asylum seekers. That 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. The job openings are in areas such 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, Hochul said.

In addition, a registration process where asylum seekers and migrants with work authorization can register for assistance has been established, she said.

Hochul also announced a public awareness campaign to help more employers express 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, Hochul said.

Hochul said she has 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."

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; New York City officials estimated that the plans would allow more than 15,000 Venezuelan individuals to attain legal work status within 30 days.

Hochul has also deployed 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 the situation. She has also deployed financial resources to support case management, the governor said.