Category Archives: Employment

Increasing Diversity in New York’s Media Industry

In an effort to increase the diversity among those working in the media industry (specifically in TV – writing or directing), a bill was passed in the New York State Senate and Assembly which established a $5 million incentive program to be allocated to salaries of those who are female or come from another minority group.   This is in addition to New York state’s $420 million film and TV production tax credit.

The reasoning behind the bill was because it was found that those being hired in the industry were often passing over others just because they knew someone in the industry, leaving talented individuals without the job they deserve.  As Eastern DGA Executive Director Neil Dudich pointed out, “For years the DGA has pushed the industry to change their imbalanced hiring practices so that talent, and talent alone, is the defining factor. By encouraging studios, networks and producers to discover the talented New York TV directors and writers that are out there in abundance, this bill can be a meaningful step forward in establishing a level playing field for all.”

The way this will work in practice (if it gets Governor Cuomo’s support and becomes law) is that 30% of the salaries of female and minority writers and directors would have the opportunity to earn a tax credit, with caps of $50,000 per episode and $150,000 for a show’s entire season.

NYC: Ethics and Employment

In a move to benefit the interviewee, Mayor de Blasio is legalizing some changes in questions potential employers are permitted to ask. One of these is salary history.  The Mayor just signed a Bill which, when passed in October will make it “unlawful” to request details of a job applicant’s current salary.

De Blasio is very focused on promoting anti-discriminatory practice in the work place. Just recently NYC’s Ethics Panel fired three city workers for inappropriate use of their jobs for personal gains.  The perpetrators were fined for basing hiring and promotions on familial choice.  One of these workers was an Administration for Children’s Services for use of her job title for the benefit of “an associated family member’s family court case.”

In addition, the head of NYC’s jail system, Joseph Ponte just resigned his position, following criticism for use of his city-owned SUV to repeatedly drive to vacations in Maine.

New York Business News

Some businesses are expanding into New York.  Two of note are Toronto-investment bank Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. and skincare company Glossier.

With its upcoming expansion and move Canaccord will be able to offer its Latin American institutional clients access to global markets, providing equity and fixed-income sales and trading.  According to new MD of the firm, Alejandro Rebelo, the reasoning behind this move is clear: “Latin America fund managers are treated like kings in their own nations, but aren’t big enough to get all the attention needed from large international banks.”

Further, this will provide Canaccord with more revenue within the firm’s US securities umbrella.  And as Global Head of Sales and Trading Mark Whaling said, staff there will comprise “largely U.S. equities focused, but also will do business in options and fixed income, which represent about 20 percent of their revenue base.”

NYC will also now be home to Glossier, with the added benefit of 200 more jobs at the company’s new headquarters.  Located at One SoHo Square, 161 6th Avenue, Glossier in 2017 was named one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2017 by Fast Company Magazine.

Impact of New York’s PFL

For years, campaigns have been undertaken to fight for Paid Family Leave (PFL) Benefits throughout the nation.  New York finally has its own Paid Family Leave Benefits Law (article 9 of the Workers Compensation Law), that is to become effective January 1, 2018. As it is New Yorkers have been doing well over the years being one of very few states that force employers to give disability benefit coverage to workers for illness or injury (caused out of work time).

Now, New York’s PFL is making things even better. The result of Governor Cuomo’s New York State’s 2016-17 Budget, once in place, this will mean that anyone who has worked for at least 26 consecutive weeks (175 days for part-time workers) will be eligible for paid family leave benefits.  In addition, these individuals will have the right to a leave of absence and guaranteed reinstatement.  This would also be the case for those who do not come under the protection of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

For employers this law will enforce a review of family and medical leave policies, benefits, agreements, etc. in an attempt to ensure full compliance.

 

Employment Gains in New York

Thanks to Spotify an additional 1,000 jobs will soon be available to New Yorkers.  With the upcoming move of company headquarters to Manhattan at 4 World Trade Center from its current location in Sweden, in early next year and the “World Trade Center Rent Reduction Program rent credits” being bestowed on the company from the Empire State Development (ESD), substantial growth for the firm is anticipated.

Snapchat and Etsy have also received such credits from ESD.  All of this is an effort to keep talent in New York and such tax incentives have helped to create nearly 2,000 jobs while retaining more than 1,500 in the state of New York.

Indeed, looking at figures from the end of last year we see that Rochester had some impressive gains in the job market.  Both the non-farm and private sector encountered a spike (4,400 and 4,200 respectively) in employment while the region’s overall unemployment rate remained static at 4.7 percent from 2015. And then the Solar foundation reported a record high level of employment with 260,077 workers in late 2016 (with a growth of at least 20 percent for four consecutive years).

Finally according to a recent article by PYMNTS, “the economy is showing continued growth in everything from consumer spending and job growth to manufacturing,” based on data from a report in The New York Times.  Retail sales increased 0.4 percent in January (0.8 percent when auto sales are excluded), and the Consumer Price Index increased by 0.6 percent.

So there is room for optimism for New Yorkers when it comes to the economy.  Post-election panic is perhaps not as necessary as it may have been anticipated.

New York: Good Industries for Employment

What are the best jobs to get in New York?  There are a variety of industries that seem to have job openings with good money.  We look at some of them here.

First and foremost, construction.  It always seems to be the place where there are many openings and indeed just last year, there were 147,000 jobs posted with developers looking at around 2 year delays for certain projects as there are simply not enough workers! So for those looking to retrain, construction is an area that should be considered.  And salaries are great too.  For example, members of the International Union of Operating Engineers can earn up to around $500,000 annually!  Also in the industry in demand are site safety managers (who need a decade of experience before being licensed) since there are not enough right now.  They get really high salaries too.

Moving on to the hospitality industry it was found that New Yorkers can really make a ton of money in this.  In 2017, in NYC alone it is expected that 61.8 million will visit the area, most of whom will need accommodation.  That means: bellboys, housekeepers, managers, chefs, waitresses, concierge and everything in between.  Indeed as Hospitality Talent Scouts President Frank Speranza pointed out:  “The demand for general managers [and] directors of finance, as well as food and beverage managers is incredibly high.”

For those in hi-tech there is a spot in New York for work too.  NY Tech Alliance President Erik Grimmelmann said that some of the smaller tech firms like Catchpoint Systems, Contently and xAD are often seeking talent and that the majority of people who showcase their demos at the NY Tech Meetup announces they are hiring.

Other major industries for good work include: management consultants, media and marketing and insightful data workers.

f you’re up to date on the latest technologies, you won’t have to look far to find a job, according to Erik Grimmelmann, president of the NY Tech Alliance. While younger tech firms don’t typically hire hundreds of workers at once, the city is home to more than 1,000 of them, most of which are seeking talent. Among them are Catchpoint Systems, Contently and xAD. Grimmelmann says that nearly everyone who takes the stage to showcase their demos at the monthly sold-out NY Tech Meetup announces that they’re hiring.

Management consultants are in demand. Media and marketing, insightful data workers

Working in New York as a Lawyer

lawyerWhen it comes to being an attorney, where is the best place to practice, nationwide?  Where is the best place to acquiesce the necessary skills and gain the qualifications before applying to law firms?  This article navigates some of these topics.

It seems that when it comes to salaries, New York is a great place for an attorney to lay his hat.  Nationwide, Zippia recently ranked them number 7. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked the states with an adjustment on the average salary and the living wage.  So while lawyers in New York actually make $155,050 per annum (which is the second highest in America), due to the high cost of living the adjusted salary plummets to $132,294.

And how large are these firms? When you go to Albany, NY, the largest three firms were listed as: Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP with 77 attorneys, Barclay Damon LLP  with 39 attorneys and Hinman Straub P.C. with 35 attorneys.  In Rochester, according to US News & World Report Best Law Firms, the top 3 are: Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara & Wolf, LLP, Adams Bell Adams, P.C. and Barclay Damon LLP.  And in Western New York, following the merger of Damon Morey with Hiscock and Barclay, the largest upstate law firm was formed.

In other news in the law industry, technology is becoming increasingly utilized.  According to latest American Bar Association Legal Technology Survey Report as reported by Nicole Black law firms of all sizes are using more technology, with attorneys becoming more attuned to the fact that this will give their firms an edge against the competition.  For example, law practice management software is being used increasingly (with smaller law firms reporting that close to 40% are now using this and solo lawyers at 30%).

Educationally, it seems like New York is the best bet for lawyers to train too.  Indeed, listed in the top 10 law schools that teach real life music lessons, are three New York schools (taking the top 3 places), being:  the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Brooklyn Law School and Cornell Law School.

So it might not be a bad idea for those considering a career in the legal industry to look at New York for their education and jobs.