In early October, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, the New York State Department of Labor, and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities held the “EmpowerAbility” job fair as part of their ongoing Future Forward Bronx Initiative.
As of August 2025, the borough’s unemployment rate was 7.8% compared to 4.9% citywide. This initiative aims to address this issue by connecting job seekers with pathways to sustainable careers while creating an inclusive hiring environment for all Bronx residents.
The line stretched around the neoclassical halls, where people came with resumes in hand, dressed to impress potential employers. Michael Ivory, the communications director for the Bronx Borough Office, spoke about the new partnership between NYSDOL and Mayor’s Office along the formation of the Future Forward Bronx Initiative.
“We did job fairs with them in the past, but we wanted to make a more concerted effort so we worked with them to have a strategic plan to coordinate job fairs throughout the year,” Ivory said.
The theme of this particular job fair was accessibility, whereas the previous fairs centered African immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community and veterans.
“It’s been very successful, we’ve had over 1,000 people come and speak to employers. We did one with Krispy Kreme, a hiring fair, so folks were getting hired on the spot,” Ivory said. Our numbers in the Bronx when it comes to unemployment have decreased since the pandemic, but they’re still not where they need to be.”
According to Ivory, his team plans to host even more job fairs next year and reach a larger audience.
More than 25 organizations attended the event in the Rotunda at the Bronx Borough Hall. There were employers and representatives from the NYC Commission on Human Rights, Office of Cannabis Management, NYC Parks and Recreation, Delta Air Lines, H&R Block among several others.
Eddie Lopez, a Fordham native and graduate of the School of Visual Arts, emphasized the difficulties of finding employment as a post-grad. This was her first time attending a job fair despite her concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of people say that there’s not that many entry jobs available, especially in a big city like New York, which is surprising because this is supposed to be the place of opportunity,” Lopez said. “I’ve been sending my resumes, sending cover letters by hand to these jobs and they’re just not getting back to me.”
She expressed hope that with access to all the available resources she’d be able to find a temporary job in this unpredictable job market.
The Bronx Borough President regularly posts about when their office hosts job fairs on Instagram and Facebook. Those who are interested in connecting with her office can call 718-590-3554 to be connected with the New York State Department of Labor for inquiries related to job opportunities.
Reach Keke Grant-Floyd at keiwana.grantfloyd19@gmail.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
