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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Shamier Settle, Senior Policy Analyst at Immigration Research Initiative, on Street Vendor Research
2:48:06
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122 sec
Shamier Settle, a senior policy analyst at the Immigration Research Initiative, presented findings from a comprehensive report on street vendors in New York City. The report, based on a survey of over 2,000 vendors, provides empirical data on the demographics, earnings, and challenges faced by approximately 23,000 street vendors in the city.
- Key findings include: 96% of vendors are immigrants, 49% are women, and only 25% of food vendors have permits.
- The study found there are about 20,500 mobile food vendors and 2,400 general merchandise vendors in NYC.
- The report highlights issues such as lack of access to restrooms for two-thirds of vendors.
Shamier Settle
2:48:06
Good afternoon, members of the New York City Council and chairmen in.
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My name is Shamir Settle, and I'm a senior policy analyst at the Immigration Research Initiative.
2:48:15
I'm also a native New Yorker and a fourth generation resident of City Council nine.
2:48:20
In September 2024, we published a report Street Vendors of New York for an industry that's characteristic of life in New York City.
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We have until now known surprisingly little about the vendors that provide economic activity that ignites so many city streets.
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How many vendors work in New York City?
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How much How much do they earn?
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What countries are they from?
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What challenges are they facing?
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How old are they?
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This report for the first time gives a comprehensive empirical answer to these questions.
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The report was based on data collected from a comprehensive survey that was administrated to more than 2,000 street vendors in 2021 by the street vendor project.
2:49:06
The survey was analyzed by us at the immigration research initiative using statistical weights that were provided by Professor Jonathan Auerbach from George Mason University so that the findings in the report would represent the approximately 23,000 vendors that operate throughout the city.
2:49:23
So Professor Auerbach's report said that there were approximately 20,500 mobile food vendors and 2,400 general merchandise vendors.
2:49:36
From that, our key findings say that according according to our survey analysis, there are most most merchandise vendors have licenses, so that's 63%.
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Only one in four food vendors have permits.
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There's a whole list of findings that you can, see in the report.
2:49:54
96% of vendors are immigrants, 49% of vendors are women, two out of every three vendors lack access to a restroom where they work.
2:50:04
It was a really, really extensive survey and I look forward to your questions.