Jobs
A good job is crucial for economic mobility. Without it, low income New Yorkers cannot withstand financial shocks or invest in their futures. That’s why Robin Hood supports career-building programs, skills training, and benefits access to keep our city’s safety net intact.
By the Numbers
$16.50
The minimum wage in NYC as of January 1, 2025
>100
hours
The number of hours per week NYC minimum wage workers would have to work (2.5 full-time jobs) to afford a one-bedroom apartment
<1
%
The median wealth held by Black ($2,800) and Latinx ($0) New Yorkers is less than 1% of the median wealth held by white New Yorkers ($320,000)
Solutions We’re Funding
Non-Traditional Employment for Women (NEW), Robin Hood Grantee
While women dominate the care economy with lower median salaries, they are underrepresented in higher-wage blue-collar industries such as construction and manufacturing, where annual salaries can reach $100,000 with union benefits. Our grantee NEW is innovating workforce development to pave new pathways to employment for New Yorkers. Learn more about our grantees.
2/8
Programs & Special Initiatives
In 2025, Robin Hood-funded job training programs helped 14,000 New Yorkers secure work paying an average of $28 an hour — nearly 70% higher than minimum wage.
Policies we Support
Increased Wages
Increasing the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation; ending sub-minimum wages for tipped workers.
Strengthening the Worker Safety Net
Supporting the creation of an Unemployment Bridge Program to provide unemployment benefits to workers who are ineligible for the federal program.
Family Supportive Policies
Reforming the state’s Temporary Disability Insurance program to ensure job protection for workers taking medical leave and increasing the benefit amount; strengthening and expanding the federal Child Tax Credit and New York’s Empire State Child Credit; increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care.
Evidence
Robin Hood’s policy positions on this issue are informed by our funded and in-house research efforts.