* Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.
The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.
Introductory*
City of Baltimore
Council Bill R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Sneed
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
title
Informational Hearing - State of Baltimore City’s Labor Market
For the purpose of inviting representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development and the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success to brief the City Council on the state of the labor market, particularly regarding youth unemployment and the employment of returning citizens.
body
Recitals
Whereas, One of the key challenges facing Baltimore is concentrated poverty and unemployment, particularly amongst our youth and people returning from incarceration, also referred to as returning citizens;
Whereas, There are many people seeking work and many jobs that need to be filled;
Whereas, The Baltimore area, which consists of Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, and Queen Anne’s County, had an unemployment rate of 3.2% in November 2019, while Baltimore City had an unemployment rate of 4.6% in November 2019, which is one of the highest unemployment rates in the state;
Whereas, The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that there are 96,000 open jobs in the State of Maryland;
Whereas, The City, with 1/3 of all incarcerated people in the state calling Baltimore home, has the highest rate of incarcerated people in the state and subsequently has the highest rate of returning citizens every year; and
Whereas, A 2017 Annie E. Casey Foundation report found that 20% of people aged 16-24 are neither employed nor in school.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of Baltimore, That the Baltimore City Council invites representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development and the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success to brief the City Council on the state of the labor market, particularly regarding youth unemployment and the employment of returning citizens.
And be it further resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success, and the Mayor’s Legislative Liaison to the City Council.