80,000 Apply Through Mamdani’s Job Portal, Only 31 Hired at City Hall
After winning New York City’s mayoral election, Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched an online job portal to recruit staff for his administration, aiming to reduce favoritism and prioritize merit and professional qualifications in government hiring.
In a television interview, Mamdani said that for years, City Hall recruitment had been influenced by personal connections, a culture he wants to change by ensuring appointments are based on skills and competence.
According to Mamdani’s team, nearly 50,000 people submitted résumés within the first week of the portal’s launch. Over the following two weeks, an additional 30,000 applications were received. Officials claim applications came from almost every ZIP code in New York City.
However, more than three months after the portal went live—and over a month since Mamdani took office—only 31 people have been hired into City Hall positions through the platform. The mayor’s spokesperson, Dora Pekec, confirmed the figure.
Out of a total of 149 new hires made so far by the administration, these 31 account for about 21 percent. Compared to the total 80,000 applicants, the overall success rate stands at just 0.039 percent. Pekec added that the number of applications has not increased significantly since late November.
While thousands of vacancies exist across various New York City departments, opportunities within City Hall’s core administrative team remain relatively limited.
Among those hired through the portal is newly appointed Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn. He said he applied via the portal, though he had already been selected for the transition team and brings more than a decade of experience at the DOT.
