Assessor Chu's Statement on the Expansion of the JobsNOW! program (ERTF)

SAN FRANCISCO--- The City & County of San Francisco announced the launch of a newly expanded jobs program to help San Franciscans find employment, support local businesses, and advance the City’s economic recovery. San Francisco’s JobsNOW! program, operated by the Human Services Agency (HSA), provides employment and training services to low-income residents and reimburses employers when they hire program participants for permanent positions. The program expansion will make it easier for participants to sign up and increases support for small businesses to reopen.

Assessor Carmen Chu, Co-Chair of the Economic Recovery Task Force, issued the following statement:

“Last week we hit a major milestone getting to the State’s yellow tier. But reopening alone won’t translate to recovery. Many businesses still can’t afford to hire back workers and that’s where JobsNOW! comes in. By investing an additional $7.4 million, we seed employment in our economy enabling businesses and workers to stabilize and restart with a little less out of pocket.”

In recognition of the critical need to stimulate job creation for vulnerable workers and support local businesses to maximize hiring as they reopen, the Economic Recovery Task Force recommended expanding the JobsNOW! Subsidized Wages Program. At a time when over 200,000 San Franciscans have filed for unemployment and the City’s unemployment rate is estimated at 8.4%, a robust hiring program is essential to help businesses invest in the employees they need and create job opportunities for those who badly want to get back to work. The City has directed nearly $28 million annually in the FY 2020-21 and 2021-22 budget for the program, which is a $7.4 million increase from last year and will support 3,600 subsidized employment placements at hundreds of local employers.

Coverage:

S.F. expands jobs program with $7.4 million funding boost (San Francisco Chronicle)

Expanded city employment program gives aid to neediest residents (San Francisco Examiner)

Cares for Employement Market, Helps Workers Find Jobs with Funding (Sing Tao Daily)

SF City Hall Activates Job Market by Helping Businesses Pay Wages (World Journal)

SF expands JobsNOW! program for low-income residents (Mission Local)