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Human Services Agency doubles JobsNow private‑sector wage subsidy to $5,000 and targets 300 placements
Summary
The city announced JobsNow 2 will increase private‑sector wage subsidies from $2,500 to $5,000 and has budget room for roughly 300 subsidized placements through June 30, funded largely by state and federal sources plus local general‑fund support.
The Human Services Agency and Mayor’s Office used a public session at the Board of Supervisors meeting to re‑announce JobsNow 2, a city program that subsidizes wages for employers who hire eligible local jobseekers. On April 12, HSA Director Trent Rohrer said the private‑sector subsidy was doubled to $5,000 to better incentivize small businesses to hire program participants.
Rohrer said JobsNow 1, created with federal stimulus support, had placed more than 4,100 low‑income jobseekers in subsidized work; when that federal funding expired HSA used a mix of local, state and remaining federal funds — about $9 million total — to continue a smaller program. Under JobsNow 2, the city expects the $5,000 subsidy to cover about two to three months of wages for a hire and estimated budget room now for approximately 250–300 additional placements between the announcement and June 30.
Trent Rohrer and Board President David Chu described evidence from the first round showing private employers often retained subsidized hires after the subsidy ended: Rohrer cited a roughly 65 percent private‑sector retention rate from JobsNow 1, while program partner Scott Haughey (Small Business California) cited case examples of retained hires that increased sales and efficiency.
Employers must interview and hire eligible candidates from the HSA referral pool. HSA said it focuses JobsNow 2 on families and individuals participating in the city's public‑assistance employment programs. Rohrer said roughly $6.8 million of the program funding comes from state and federal sources, with about $2.2 million in local general funds allocated within HSA’s existing budget; he said HSA reengineered existing welfare‑to‑work delivery to fund the subsidies without an additional city budget ask.
How to apply: HSA said employers can learn more by calling 311, the JobsNow hotline at 1‑877‑1‑NOW, or visiting sfhsa.org.
Why it matters: The increased subsidy is explicitly targeted to private and small employers with thin margins to encourage placement of long‑term hires; program staff emphasized that JobsNow placements are intended as a bridge to unsubsidized private employment.
