INTERVIEW: Commissioner Louis Molina On Helping New Yorkers Find Jobs, The Evolution Of The City + More

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Commissioner Louis Molina on Helping New Yorkers Find Jobs & the City’s Evolution

Episode Date: December 3, 2025
Guests: Commissioner Louis Molina
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Podcast: The Breakfast Club (iHeartPodcasts)

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Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club features Commissioner Louis Molina, who joins DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God to discuss new city initiatives aimed at helping New Yorkers find stable jobs, the evolution of career opportunities in New York City, and the long-term value of government employment. The discussion covers the new “Delivering4U NYC” jobs program, the benefits and stability of municipal employment, opportunities for those without degrees, the value of union work, and inclusivity for immigrants and older workers.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Launch of the “Delivering4U NYC” Jobs Initiative

[03:12–04:26]

• Commissioner Molina introduces “Delivering4U NYC,” a city partnership with Power 105.1 to connect New Yorkers to thousands of job openings.
• Multiple job opportunities are available—from entry-level roles to positions for mid-career professionals.
• Notably, there are urgent needs for teachers and school nurses.

Notable Quote:

“When you're in the number one city in the world and you have job opportunities, you gotta come to the number one show to let people know what's going on, right?”
— Commissioner Louis Molina [03:21]

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2. Scope of Careers & Long-Term Prospects

[03:49–05:12]

• Roles highlighted include assistant school safety agents, taxi and limousine commission inspectors, and positions for college graduates like school teachers and nurses.
• Emphasis on career trajectories within government—for example, one can move between agencies while retaining pension and retirement benefits.
• Government jobs are lauded for stability, lack of layoffs, and long-term career growth.

Notable Quote:

“We have thousands of city workers that start off an agency and 25, 30 years later, they retire from the same agencies. ... You can also port your career to other agencies while still maintaining your city credit towards your retirement and your pension.”
— Commissioner Louis Molina [04:30]

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3. Impact of Recent Policy Changes and Shutdowns

[05:12–06:09]

• Federal government shutdowns have “minimal impact” on city workers due to independent budgeting and large population base.
• Clarifies that city versus federal employment have different risks/stability.
• On the new federal move that reclassifies nursing: Molina asserts nursing is still an “advanced vocational job” with strong prospects and city demand.

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4. Opportunities for Non-Degree Holders & Career Ladders

[06:48–08:05]

• Roles not requiring a college degree include custodial jobs, with the possibility of advancing through the city’s investment in staff education.
• The EPIC program allows workers to earn high school equivalency and college credit while employed, increasing internal mobility.

Notable Quote:

“Just because you don't have a high school equivalency, doesn't mean that you cannot have a career in the City of New York. ... The City of New York is willing to invest with you so that you can have the career that you choose.”
— Commissioner Louis Molina [07:35]

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5. Benefits of Unionized Government Work

[08:05–09:02]

• Approximately 83% of City jobs are accessed via civil service exams and are unionized.
• Union membership provides workplace advocacy, salary negotiations, and stability.
• Emphasizes dignity, security, and collective bargaining's role in public sector jobs.

Notable Quote:

“Being a member of a union job really is a big benefit. Working for the City of New York.”
— Commissioner Louis Molina [08:57]

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6. Affordability, Young Workers, and the New Mayor

[09:02–09:55]

• The incoming mayor is focusing on affordability and opportunity, which dovetails with city efforts to fill critical jobs.
• Projected expansion of affordable housing and recruitment as strategies for economic stability.
• Calls for young people to join the workforce to drive change from within.

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7. Resources for Teachers and System Issues

[09:55–10:30]

• While Molina is focused on job recruitment, he underscores the importance of supporting teachers with adequate resources, but defers policy specifics to the NYC public schools system.

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8. Portability, Inclusivity, and Application Process

[10:30–12:07]

• Government job skills are “portable”—beneficial for moving to private sector or other government roles.
• The city is age-inclusive, hiring both young and senior candidates.
• Application is streamlined: via the Delivering4U NYC website or 212-386-5000; most jobs require a civil service exam, others resume/application.

Notable Quote:

“All of the skills that you would gain working for the City of New York, their portable skills ... These life journey experiences are of significant value at any age.”
— Commissioner Louis Molina [10:44]

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9. Encouragement for Career Changes & Access for Immigrants

[12:07–12:48]

• Molina encourages anyone seeking a new career or feeling lost to start by reaching out on the website or the provided number for personal guidance.
• Not all city jobs require U.S. citizenship—documented immigrants can be hired for certain roles.

Notable Quote:

“Certain jobs may require US Citizenship, but we have persons that are in a documented capacity that work for the city.”
— Commissioner Louis Molina [12:48]

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “This is actually a blessing.”
  — Charlemagne Tha God, on city hiring efforts in a tough job market [12:05]

• “Go to the website, DeliveringForYou.NYC … you can have an exploratory conversation or you can call us ... a live person will help you.”
  — Commissioner Louis Molina [12:15]

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Important Timestamps

• [03:12] Introduction to new job initiatives
• [04:30] Benefits of city employment
• [05:12] Effect of federal shutdowns on city jobs
• [06:09] Nursing job prospects
• [07:10] EPIC education and no-degree job paths
• [08:05] Union benefits and job security
• [09:09] Policy focus with the new mayor
• [10:39] Long-term value of government work
• [11:21] Application process (website and phone)
• [12:07] Career changer encouragement and inclusivity
• [12:48] Discussion on citizenship and eligibility

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Conclusion

Commissioner Louis Molina offers an optimistic and actionable overview of the career prospects available in New York City, highlighting city government’s commitment to inclusivity, stability, and upward mobility. The episode serves as encouragement both for those seeking work and those considering career changes, with numerous practical resources shared for New Yorkers ready to take the next step.

Key Resource:

• DeliveringForYou.NYC
• Phone: [phone]

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Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Yeah.

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[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Wake you up.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Wake you up.

[DJ Envy]

Wake that ass up.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Program your alarm to power 105.1 on iheartradio.

[DJ Envy]

Morning everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building. Yes indeed we have commissioner Louis. How you feeling man?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Great. Always great to be here.

[DJ Envy]

Now you're launching a new weekly initiative to help New Yorkers find jobs.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

Let's break that down.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

He's doing it with us. Power 105.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

1.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, but let him break it down.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Yeah. Well, when you're in the number one city in the world and you have job opportunities, you gotta come to the number one show to let people know what's going on. Right.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

So That's a fact.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Delivering 4U NYC and we also have a number 212-386-5000. So we have a number thousands of job opportunities with the city. Some are entry level, some are for mid career professionals, but we have somebody for, we have a job for anyone that wants to bring their talents to the city and be part of helping our city evolve and support the community.

[DJ Envy]

Now I was going to ask that. So these are careers, not just seasonable seasonal jobs. Right. So not just for the holidays. This is somebody, someone could get into and work for a couple of years, get benefits and take care of their family long term.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Absolutely. So some of the jobs are entry level and to the begin your career track to do that. So for example, like an assistant school safety agent with the NYPD or working as a taxi limousine commission inspector. And for college graduates, we have to hire a thousand school teachers to deal with class size. We also are looking for school nurses. So there's a number of jobs that are available if you're just starting out in your career for career progression. If you're a mid career professional, we have those opportunities too.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

Can you explain why working for the government is such a strong option right now?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Also I think as we've seen as of late, when we look at local municipal government, they provide a level of career stability that you may not get in the private sector. We've weathered a lot of challenges in the city of New York over the. Over the last decade, as many as you know and your listeners know. But we haven't had a layoff. Right. And I think that that's important. At the same time, you have options. You can grow in a career within the same city agency. So we have thousands of city workers that start off an agency and 25, 30 years later, they retire from the same agencies. Myself, I had the honor of working at five different city agencies. Right. So you can also port your career to other agencies while still maintaining your city credit towards your retirement and your pension.

[DJ Envy]

How did the recent shutdown affect some of those individuals? Because that's, that's one thing. When people talk about working for the government, that's always something that scares people.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Yeah. So I think the recent shutdown really affected primarily federal workers and it affected the federal workforce, which is different than working for a local government like the city of New York. You know, we do work with our federal partners in a number of ways, particularly like grant opportunities and things like that. So we've had shutdowns in the past. This was a long one. So there had some minor impact. But a city like ours, we have a huge sort of population base and our funds are budgeted in time for a lot of the programs we support. So from that perspective, it had very good, minimal impact.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

We know a recent change in a federal education policy makes nursing no longer classified as a professional degree. What would you say to people who still want to pursue being a nurse, but they know it's not considered a professional degree anymore?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Well, I think what I would consider nursing in general as an advanced vocational job. Right. Which also has to have the complement of academic credentialing, depending on what you want to do in nursing, from being an LPN to being a full RN or to being someone that manages a cohort of nurses on a medical floor. So I think it really depends on what nuance of nurse career path you're taking. But it is, you know, we're hiring school nurses now with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. They're deployed throughout our public school system. So a nurse is a critical job in the medical field that allows doctors to do what they do and be successful at it.

[DJ Envy]

I wanted to talk about some of the no degree jobs. People that don't have a college education.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Sure.

[DJ Envy]

What are some of those jobs? And are those careers where they can increase to make some. Some huge salaries?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Yeah, absolutely. So I think one thing that's good about working for the city of New York specifically is we invest a lot in our staff, and we have a number of jobs, for example, like city custodians, that help keep our buildings running from cleanliness to a lot of other things within our building. And you don't need a high school equivalency diploma. And we recently launched, with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, a program called EPIC Education Propelling into Careers. And what we do is for those that want to get their high school equivalency one day a week, we, in partnership with Metropolitan College of New York, they're able to not only get their high school equivalency, but 29 college credits. What does that look like from a career perspective? Once you get that, there's opportunities for promotion that may not have been available to you because of the qualifications for the promotion, but thousands of city jobs now open up for you because some city jobs do require a level of college credits, a high school diploma. So just because you don't have a high school equivalency, doesn't mean that you cannot have a career in the City of New York. And the City of New York is willing to invest with you so that you can have the career that you choose, because we still want people to have agency and be in control of their own future.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

You know, a lot of these jobs, they offer strong benefits and union support. So can you explain what that means for somebody who may be bouncing from job to job with no stability?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Sure. So about 83% of our jobs come from civil service examinations, and they're represented by a number of different local unions throughout the city. So one thing good about union, being a member of a union, and I've been a member of many of the unions where I worked for the city, is that enterprise allows you to have someone that can advocate for you when you might have challenges at work, a set of resources, being a member of a union. They also help negotiate your salary and increases in compensation with the collective barney agreements that the union have. And the City of New York has a really special place in partnership with all of its labor unions and leaders. And it is a way to be able to deliver, to make sure that individuals can live and work with dignity. So being a member of a union job really is a big benefit. Working for the City of New York.

[DJ Envy]

Now with the new mayor coming in January, does this help the efforts that you're doing? Does it hurt the efforts or does nothing change?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

I think it helps. I think, you know, the incoming mayor has talked a lot in his campaign and to this day about affordability. And opportunity. Right. And the city is very, very expensive. Part of that is increasing our affordable housing stock within the city. But you also need income. Right. And job opportunity. Right. And there's a generation of young people that want to see change in government and you can only do so much of that change from the outside. So we're saying join our city workforce, be part of the change you want to see. And I think when he talks about class size and improving education, us doing this recruitment drive to fill a thousand teacher jobs, it's what's going to let people know what opportunities exist. If you want to be a schoolteacher as an example.

[DJ Envy]

Now what? You know, we talk about school teachers and school teachers call all the time and saying they love being schoolteachers, they love their job, they love teaching, but they don't have enough money and funding to take care of their classroom. They don't have the supplies, they don't have the books, they don't have that. Is that being changed? Is there help for that?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Well, I'm here specifically about the jobs of teachers. Right. I will let the New York City public schools talk about their ideas about how they help support teachers. But I think any way that we as a city can help support any worker, teachers included, to be able to do their job well, I think that's an important endeavor.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

What would you say to somebody who doesn't realize the long term value of having government benefits or government training and just advancement opportunities?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Yeah, I would say give it a chance. Right. You know, you always, as I've gotten older, can appreciate things that I didn't appreciate maybe when I was 24 years old. But I think you should give the city an opportunity and a chance. I think all of the skills that you would gain working for the city of New York, their portable skills, if you want to then go into the private sector or maybe work in another local government somewhere else. These life journey experiences are of significant value at any age, whether you're an entry level professional, a mid career professional. We even have some seniors that join the city's workforce because they have time on their hands and they might want to work part time. We are an age inclusive city so we have opportunities for everyone.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

Wow. What does the application process look like?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

So a number of ways. One is we have the Delivering4U NYC website where you can fill out a form, give us information and we'll be in touch with you to talk about what may be of professional interest to you. You can also call us at 212-386-50.00. There are two main ways of getting employment with the city. We give examinations for about 83% of our jobs. Others don't require an examination and you apply via application or resume. And. And we would walk you through that process.

[DJ Envy]

Okay. Once again, if you're looking for a job, if you're looking for some work, Power 1051 and the Commissioner linked up and you could get information on Power 105.1 or give them the website one more time.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

DeliveringForYou NYC.

[DJ Envy]

All right.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

And the job market is hell right now.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, it is.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

So this is actually a blessing.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Oh, it is.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

What's your message to anybody who wants to make a career change but doesn't have any direction?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

So I would say go to the website. DeliveringForYou. NYC is important because that's a start where somebody can reach out and engage with you and you can have an exploratory conversation or you can call us at 212-386-5000 where you'll have someone, a live person will help you, walk you through what options may be available for you to compete for, to consider for the next job opportunity you might be looking for.

[DJ Envy]

Word, last question. I notice this. Do you have to be a citizen, American citizen? Because I know there's a lot of immigrants here that don't have their necessary citizenship. Can they get a job? Is that.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Yeah. So certain jobs may require US Citizenship, but we have persons that are in a documented capacity that work for the city. So not every city employee has US Citizenship.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

I wouldn't be showing up anywhere without US Citizenship at a time like this.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

All right.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Okay.

[DJ Envy]

All right. Well, we thank you for joining us this morning. Commissioner Louis Molina. Thank you for joining us.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Thank you for having me.

[DJ Envy]

It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

Every day I wake up.

[DJ Envy]

Wake your ass up.

[Charlemagne the Guy]

The Breakfast Club finish or y' all done.

[DJ Envy]

What up, y'?

[Commissioner Louis Molina]

All?

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Janice.

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[Podcast Host]

We're back for season four to talk.

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To some incredible small business owners.

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[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.