EssentialNYC
The backbone of our Urban Ecosystem
EssentialNYC is a campaign that sheds light on how a thriving industrial sector is essential to the city’s economy and to the every-day experiences of New Yorkers, including the functioning of our City's job market, resiliency, and future as an innovation hub.
We want to educate New Yorkers about the vital role the industrial sector plays in keeping New York City running. From Broadway to e-commerce to affordable housing to food and medical equipment, the businesses that comprise the industrial sector keep us healthy, housed, clothed, fed, and entertained. The industrial sector is the backbone of our urban ecosystem, yet the 'behind the curtain' nature of these businesses leave them vulnerable to policies that undermine the infrastructure, operations, and future of this vital segment of our economy.
Jobs
The industrial sector provides over half a million jobs—more than NYC's technology or finance sectors, and supports a pathway to the middle class.
New York City’s industrial sector is more diverse compared to the industrial sector nationwide. In Brooklyn, Black employees make up over 36% of the workers in the Industrial sector compared with 13.2% nationwide.
MWBE firms account for 19% of the NYC industrial sector.
All of the industrial sectors are expected to grow in the United States with the exception of the utility sector.
The industrial sectors offer higher wages than other sectors such as food and accommodation, with manufacturing and utilities having the highest salary ranges.
The industrial sectors represent opportunities for those without college degrees. 18.8% of jobs posted in the manufacturing sector do not require any college education; for other industrial sectors, such as transportation, waste management, and construction, those percentages are 42%, 57.6%, and 34.3%, respectively (Burning Glass).
Resiliency and Security
When supply chains broke down during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industrial sector stepped up to ensure that grocery stores were stocked, PPE was available, and our hospitals received the ventilator equipment they needed.
Investing in our industrial sector will help NYC remain resilient in the face of our next crisis.
Distribution firms keep food and other essential goods flowing to NYC communities.
Hardware manufacturers pivoted to provide over a million PPE to 100 healthcare facilities.
Garment manufacturers provided over 400,000 isolation gowns to city hospitals.
Technology manufacturers pivoted to produce 3,000 ventilators in one month.
Distilleries and breweries pivoted to manufacture sanitizer.
Utilities facilitated infrastructure of remote work.
Heavy materials manufacturers provided plexiglass dividers to businesses.
Innovation
Developing New York into a smart, sustainable, and resilient city, while creating the next wave of innovation requires a robust industrial ecosystem.
Market and government efforts indicate the opportunities and need for a green local industrial sector.
By 2025 there is a projected nearly $6 trillion market for cleantech segments (the largest being energy efficiency at almost $2 trillion) all of which require industrial roles for implementation.
Offshore Wind NYC plan will support NYC based suppliers, contractors, and manufacturers in the over $70B supply chain opportunities created by the wind industry.
Having multiple production capacities in-house and at-hand enable manufacturers to pivot from normal operations to emergency needs. As an example, one NYC communications systems manufacturer produced thousands of ventilators in under a month.
What EssentialNYC Businesses Need
To continue to create jobs, provide essential services, and spur innovation, NYC elected officials should:
1.
Recommit to IBZ policy to provide real estate stability and affordability
2.
Put industrial experts on City committees and commissions to improve industry input on NYC’s economic resilience
3.
Streamline government processes to make business operations easier
4.
Develop incentives to invest in green infrastructure and reduce emissions in business operations
Take the Pledge.
I believe that NYC needs a balance of businesses that support everyday living, working, and playing. The suppliers, manufacturers, and infrastructure enablers allow NYC to thrive. This will require adequate and affordable space, connections to talent, and streamlined government processes. NYC cannot prepare for the next crisis without a thriving industrial ecosystem that will innovate and deploy the solutions NYC needs.
