12/10/09 – Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced that the San Francisco JOBS NOW program has used federal stimulus funds to put 1,200 San Franciscans back to work, and is seeking an additional 1,300 job participants before the funds expire in September 2010. Additionally, the Mayor outlined the JOBS NOW  marketing campaign launching this month with MUNI and other city partners, as well as his efforts to secure funding from Congress and the White House to extend the JOBS NOW program past September 2010.

“In the midst of the nation’s economic crisis, San Francisco’s JOBS NOW program is finding ways to put people back to work and stimulating our city’s local economic recovery,” said Mayor Newsom. “As President Obama puts the national focus on job creation, lawmakers in Washington need to take notice of one of the stimulus’ success stories here in San Francisco.”

The JOBS NOW! Program benefits local employers by providing referrals of qualified workers and by subsidizing 100% of their wages until September 30, 2010 (when the federal funding expires).

The program is funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) which includes $5 billion nationwide to create the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund (TANF-ECF), which provides federal funds to pay for subsidized employment programs.  California will receive $1.8 billion of the $5 billion to pass through to counties for this program. San Francisco is expected to use almost $25 million, with a goal of placing 2,500 participants in jobs between May 2009 and September 2010.

The Obama administration recently requested that the San Francisco Mayor’s office compile a report on the JOBS NOW program to inform the administration as they move forward in setting job and economic policies.  The JOBS NOW report will recommend that the City receive an extension to keep the program past September 2010, and also seek additional sources of funding to allow the program to move forward without the requirement that applicants have a dependant.

The Mayor today also held a business roundtable meeting with small businesses in San Francisco, and asked that they join him in putting people to work. The Mayor encouraged their partnership with the City and the JOBS NOW program, and requested they identify workers and refer them to the JOBS NOW program.

The City has also completed a new website, jobsnowsf.org, and will begin this month an intense marketing effort citywide. The new ad was unveiled at the press conference.

Interested participants can apply to enroll in JOBS NOW by calling 1-877-JOB1NOW or 311 or by visiting the HSA website at www.jobsnowsf.org.