For Immediate Release
October 30, 2019
Contacts:
Rachaele Raynoff, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471
Deputy Mayor Vicki Been and DCP Director Lago release new regional economic report & growth trends data
The 2019 edition of the Geography of Jobs details regional growth constraints as the economy expands faster than the housing supply
NEW YORK – Deputy Mayor Vicki Been and Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Marisa Lago today announced the release of the 2019 Geography of Jobs, the city’s second report on shifting growth patterns in the metropolitan region that are concentrating jobs and housing pressures in New York City and other urban areas.
“Falling housing production poses a threat to our cities, and to our region’s continued prosperity. The tri-state area has seen a 30% drop in the pace of new housing construction in the current market cycle compared to the prior cycle, even as job growth has surged. This imbalance is driving up rents, damaging our quality of life and exacerbating inequality. This report serves as an eye-opener to the challenges we face and that we must work together to address,” said Vicki Been, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development.
“I’m so encouraged by the progress that we’ve made over the past year speaking with our regional partners about the significant growth challenges that we face – ones that affect every resident in the New York metro region. From housing, to jobs, to concerns about equity and sustainability, this second edition of DCP’s Geography of Jobs report offers us new data and analysis to continue our discussion. I look forward to continuing to work with our regional colleagues to solve some of the most urgent challenges we face,” said DCP Director Marisa Lago.
The report offers detailed employment, wage, labor force, and housing production data for New York City and the surrounding 26-county tri-state area extending into northern New Jersey, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and southwest Connecticut. It focuses on the last two decades and examines trends prior to and after the Great Recession.
The report shows how the confluence of declining housing production, explosive job growth in select locations, and an aging labor force have shifted the geographic pattern of growth within the region. The continuation of imbalanced growth has major implications for the future of this region—heightening affordability challenges, impacting residents’ mobility and access to opportunity, straining our transit infrastructure, creating headwinds to long term economic growth, and threatening the region’s national and global competitiveness.
In conjunction with the release of the report, a comprehensive update to the NYC Metro Region Explorer tool features detailed, interactive population, employment, housing, and commuting data for the public to view and download.
Read a one-page summary of the 2019 Report.
Housing/Jobs Balance
Housing
Employment
Labor Force
“This report clearly lays out some of the core challenges my Administration is working to address. In order to meet these challenges, we must continue working alongside our regional economic partners to execute on our shared vision: increasing the number of good-paying jobs for our residents, providing housing options for residents across income levels, and locating both near public transit. I thank Deputy Mayor Been and Director Lago for their collaboration on this issue and their commitment to helping build a sustainable future for our region,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “This report shows that our region faces both collective challenges and has had its share of collective successes. Most importantly, any path forward will involve cooperation from all stakeholders. It is no secret that our region needs more housing that is affordable for workers on all economic levels, and this report only serves to reinforce our commitment to finding it.”
“New Haven’s participation in regional planning meetings and workshops underscores my commitment to address interdependent policy areas essential for a vibrant economy with ample opportunity throughout the tri-state area,” New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp said. “For example, to the extent housing options are addressed, and residents live closer to where they work, transportation challenges are reduced and environmental conditions improve. All of us in New Haven appreciate the invaluable research provided by NYC Planning, and remain grateful for the work of those researchers in the NYC Planning Regional Planning office.”
Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., President & CEO of the New York Building Congress, said “The Department of City Planning’s updated report demonstrates why we need to invest in more infrastructure, housing and transportation options across all five boroughs. As the region continues to grow and add jobs, we have to accommodate more people living here and businesses growing. Key projects like the Gateway Program, Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway and the Port Authority Bus Terminal are vital to providing greater transportation access across the region, which opens opportunities for new housing and jobs markets.”
“These updated numbers show conclusively that New York City is the center of a great and growing metropolitan region. But until we have better strategies to provide more housing and job opportunities to communities that need them, our growth will also create more challenges of segregation, displacement and mobility. RPA applauds the City for leading these efforts to collaborate with neighboring cities and counties. Working together we can uplift all the residents of the tri-state region,” said Tom Wright, President and CEO, Regional Plan Association.
“The tristate metropolitan region’s economy is among the largest and most complex in the world. Planning requires the integrated analysis of infrastructure, jobs, housing and services that DCP has achieved in this important report,” said Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO of the Partnership for New York City.