Economic Trends & Policy

Fact Sheet: Black New York Workers Have Been Hit Hard By The Pandemic Statewide

THE COVID‐19 PANDEMIC HAD AN UNPRECEDENTED EFFECT ON THE JOBS AND INCOMES OF NEW YORK STATE RESIDENTS, in addition to upending social norms and taking the lives of thousands. However, the pandemic’s burden was not evenly distributed across our population. The Fiscal Policy Institute found that Black workers statewide, who already had a higher rate of unemployment prior to the pandemic, experienced even greater losses. Our first analysis compares the employment measures among Black New Yorkers between March to November 2019 and March to November [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:20-04:00March 24th, 2021|Economic Outlook, Economic Trends & Policy, Fact Sheets, Labor Market & Workforce, State Budget|

A Tax Credit for Working New Yorkers

New York State’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a proven program that working New Yorkers rely on. The EITC keeps more money in workers’ pockets, providing more money to spend on essentials like food, transportation, housing, education, and child care. The EITC is a critical support for workers, their families, local economies, and the state! Before the pandemic, far too many New Yorkers were unable to earn a stable and sufficient income through work. This problem persisted despite the recent increases to our state’s [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:20-04:00March 23rd, 2021|Blog, Economic Trends & Policy, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

Fact Sheet: New York State Must Invest in Not‐for‐Profit Service Providers to Protect New Yorkers and Advance Equity

The Social Assistance subsector includes workers who provide direct and vital social assistance services to consumers, including vulnerable and at-risk populations and communities. It consists of the following industry groups: Individual and Family Services; Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services; Vocational Rehabilitation Services; Child Day Care Services.1 In 2019, there were nearly 380,000 people estimated to be employed in New York’s social assistance subsector by not-for-profit, government, and private employers, 133,000 of whom (35 percent) were employed by not-for-profits. In New York State, total not-for-profit employment is largest in the Individual and Family Services and Child and Day [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:21-04:00March 22nd, 2021|Fact Sheets, Labor Market & Workforce, State Budget, Tax & Budget|

One Year Into Pandemic, Thousands Of Excluded Workers Are Still Begging For Relief

This Gothamist article tells the personal story of an excluded worker and the on-going efforts in New York State to create an excluded worker fund. Excluded workers are those who have lost work due to COVID, but have been excluded from any federal or state relief (federal stimulus or state unemployment due to their immigration status or recent incarceration. “The need is urgent,” said David Dyssegaard Kallick, director of the Fiscal Policy Institute’s Immigration Research Initiative. “Unemployment insurance has been a lifesaver to so many [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:21-04:00March 19th, 2021|FPI in the News, Migration, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

Report Finds $3.5B Needed for Aiding Excluded Workers During Pandemic

The New York State Senate and Assembly both supported creating a fund to provide unemployment insurance to workers who are excluded from the unemployment insurance system, primarily undocumented immigrants and people leaving incarceration during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both houses included $2.1 billion in their one-house budgets. The report shows that while $2.1 billion is an impressive signal from the legislature, $3.5 billion is the amount that is needed to match the minimum benefits other workers receive and to continue that aid through the end of [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:21-04:00March 18th, 2021|FPI in the News, Migration, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

Unemployment Compensation for Excluded Workers: $3.5 Billion Needed for 2020 and 2021

The New York State Assembly and Senate both support creating a fund to provide unemployment insurance to workers who are excluded from the unemployment insurance system, primarily undocumented immigrants and people leaving incarceration during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both houses included $2.1 billion in their one-house budgets this week, the starting points for negotiating the final state budget. This is an impressive commitment to a critical priority. However, matching the minimum level of benefits that other unemployed New Yorkers receive and extending the aid through the [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:21-04:00March 17th, 2021|Blog, Migration, Reports, Briefs and Presentations, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

“Legislature Supports $2.1 Billion in Aid to Excluded Workers; Report Shows $3.5 is Needed”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2021 Media Contact: communications@fiscalpolicy.org, 518-786-3156 “Legislature Supports $2.1 Billion in Aid to Excluded Workers; Report Shows $3.5 is Needed” Read FPI’s report: Unemployment Compensation for Excluded Workers: $3.5 Billion Needed for 2020 and 2021 (Albany, NY) – New York State may be on the brink of providing unemployment benefits to workers who are currently excluded from the state’s unemployment insurance fund. The New York State Assembly and Senate both support a fund of $2.1 billion to extend benefits to undocumented [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:21-04:00March 17th, 2021|Migration, Press Releases, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

New York lawmakers propose tax increases on the rich. Here’s who would pay up

The New York State Senate passed its one-house budget resolution which includes raising the tax rate on those earning over $1 million a year. The Assembly supports this tax reform as well. "Big challenges require bold action and demand a combination of transformative vision and concrete commonsense response," said Jonas Shaende, chief economist for the Fiscal Policy Institute, a liberal think tank in Albany. "The Legislature’s proposals show their willingness to consider a broad array of measures to ensure New Yorkers’ health and well-being." Read the Gannett article which appears in lohud and [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:22-04:00March 16th, 2021|Economic Trends & Policy, FPI in the News, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

Tax opponents wonder if they still can count on Gov. Cuomo

As the state budget process progresses, both houses released their one-house budget proposals which include increased taxes for top earners and corporations. Critics contend these tax reforms are not needed due to federal aid. Advocates point out the long-standing need for tax reform to set the state on the right course. "The legislature’s proposals recognize the need for support to ensure all New Yorkers can live, work, access health care, and receive a sound education," the labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute said. Read the Newsday article [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:22-04:00March 16th, 2021|Economic Trends & Policy, FPI in the News, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy|

Denied COVID economic relief, N.Y.-based immigrant and excluded workers plan hunger strike

Advocacy organizations and state lawmakers have been urging the state to create a COVID relief fund for undocumented workers and others excluded from federal aid since the start of the pandemic. The majority, 54%, of New York City residents working in essential jobs during the pandemic are immigrants, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute. Read: "Denied COVID economic relief, N.Y.-based immigrant and excluded workers plan hunger strike" NY Daily News

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:22-04:00March 15th, 2021|FPI in the News, Migration, State Budget, Tax & Budget|

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: New York’s Share of the Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund

Read the full report: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: New York’s Share of the Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 includes $350 billion in aid for states, territories, and tribal governments for the purpose of alleviating the fiscal stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the $350 billion, $195.3 billion is allocated for payments to states, $130.2 billion for city and county governments, $20 billion for tribal governments, and $4.5 billion for territories. These coronavirus fiscal recovery funds [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:22-04:00March 12th, 2021|City Budget, Labor Market & Workforce, Must Read, Policy & Research, Reports, Briefs and Presentations, State Budget|

The American Rescue Plan and the New York State Budget

The year 2021 began under the threat of a historic state budget shortfall of $15 billion. Compounded by municipal and county-level fiscal stress, it imperiled funding for public services and employees – a terrible risk as New York continued to experience the social, emotional, and fiscal impacts from the pandemic. The governor’s proposed Executive Budget featured an “if-then” scenario that reflected a minimum level of $6 billion in federal aid and assumed a remaining $9 billion difference. At the same time, the governor requested $15 [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:22-04:00March 11th, 2021|Blog, Economic Trends & Policy, State Budget, Tax & Budget|

Legal Status for Undocumented Essential Workers: New York Gains

The Biden-Harris administration is being urged to grant legal status to the roughly 5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States who served as essential workers during the Covid pandemic. This is simply the right thing to do for people who have lived in this country for years and served heroically during a time of need. In this case, doing the right thing would also have economic benefits for immigrants who would newly have work authorization and for government revenues that would increase as well. [...]

david2024-12-18T12:24:20-05:00March 9th, 2021|Blog, Migration|

Economists Push Biden On Path To Citizenship For Undocumented Immigrants

FPI joined a letter from economists urging the Biden Administration this week to include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in upcoming legislation. The letter highlighted that such an action would benefit the nation as a whole. Benefits would include increasing jobs, productivity, boost wages, and tax revenue. The group of more than 60 signatories includes former Obama economic advisor Jason Furman, Eileen Appelbaum of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and David Kallick of the Fiscal Policy Institute. Read the Forbes article [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:23-04:00February 12th, 2021|Economic Trends & Policy, FPI in the News, Labor Market & Workforce, Migration|

Biden Urged to Legalize Migrants as Part of Infrastructure Plan

FPI joined with more than 60 economists to urge President Biden to create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the soon-to-be-released economic and infrastructure plan. Such an action not only benefits those individuals, but the experts also explain that this action would help our economy by raising wages and increasing productivity and tax revenue. The economists, including President Barack Obama’s former top economist Jason Furman and David Kallick of the Fiscal Policy Institute, which champions liberal economic policies, made the proposal in a [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:23-04:00February 12th, 2021|Economic Trends & Policy, FPI in the News, Migration|