Expanding Inclusion in the Social Safety Net: Impacts of New York’s Excluded Workers Fund

This Urban Institute report analyses the effect of New York’s Excluded Workers Fund (EWF), a $2.1 billion program that allowed 130,000 immigrants without work authorization to receive unemployment compensation if they lost work during the COVID-19 pandemic recession. The funds were spent primarily on paying back rent, food, and paying off debt and loans, and the program opened new possibilities for job advancement and well-being for its recipients, such as investing in their businesses, obtaining job training, or interviewing for new jobs. EWF funds played a role in an economic boost of $1.6 billion in New York City, $224 million on Long Island, $122 in the Lower Hudson Valley, and $71 million in the Upstate region north of the Lower Hudson Valley. This report provides insights for policymakers on the benefits of including populations without work authorizations in safety net government programs for individual families, local economies, and civic engagement.