Tech:NYC Digest: July 7

Tech:NYC Digest: July 7

July 07, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Thursday, July 7, 2022 

In today’s digest, monkeypox takes off in NYC, tourism shows a stronger return than expected, and what tech recruiters are saying about a hiring slowdown (spoiler: there really isn’t one).

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 7,256

    • New positive cases, NYC: 4,551

  • NYC Positivity Rate (Daily): 10.4 percent

    • NYC Positivity Rate (7-Day Average): 9.3 percent

In today’s latest: 

  • Twenty-two new cases of monkeypox were reported in NYC today, the largest single-day jump yet, bringing the total number of cases to 141. About 75 percent of those are in Manhattan and the city has opened a second dedicated vaccine clinic despite very low supply. More information from city health officials can be found here.

  • According to a new study on COVID-19 reinfection, those who have been infected more than once have increased chances of facing longer-lasting health problems. (CNN)

  • More New Yorkers are swapping their subway commutes for walking or cycling on the days they go to the office, a shift that means subway ridership is hovering around 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to the MTA. (THE CITY)

  • The city’s tourism arm NYC & Company predicts visitors this year will slightly exceed its previous prediction of 56 million. But a sizable dip in visitor levels are among those from the New York metro area, a deficit tourism officials attribute to new fears of crime. (THE CITY)

  • And lastly: reservations for the summer edition of NYC Restaurant week, which runs July 18 through August 21, are officially open. See the participating restaurants here.

In other reading:

  • This Fall Will Be a Vaccination Reboot (The Atlantic)

  • How Reduced Testing and Reporting Blur the COVID Picture in the US (New York Times)

  • The Best City Pools in New York (Curbed)

It seems like there’s been a steady drumbeat of layoff announcements and hiring freezes in recent weeks, but recruiters say that doesn’t show the whole picture. (CNBC)

  • Experts say most of the cutbacks we’ve seen are isolated, contained to companies most directly affected by macro market issues. Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao said some companies are “reading economic tea leaves and pulling back in uncertainty” as opposed to necessity.

But for every job cut, another two are still available: Despite what you’re hearing about a recession, the job market is still chugging along — especially in tech.

The website layoffs.fyi, which was started by Human Interest co-founder Roger Lee in March 2020, has become a go-to source for recruiters looking to pick up new candidates.

  • "Recruiters and companies are emailing me,” founder Roger Lee told Axios. They're sending thank you notes because they've used the site — which features spreadsheets with contact information of laid off workers — to hire. 

  • Some are asking him if they can plug his data directly into their recruiting software.

The US jobs report out today shows a “natural slowdown,” but indicates job openings are hovering near record highs and layoffs remain well below pre-pandemic levels. (Bloomberg)

In other reading:

  • Cybersecurity teams need to fill jobs and improve diversity. Entry level roles can help. (Protocol)

  • Working Parents Are Having a Rough Summer. Some Co-Workers Don’t Want to Hear About It. (Wall Street Journal)

  • I’m Out of the Office. Really. (Wall Street Journal)

  • Beat the Bomb, a Brooklyn-based immersive social video game startup, raised $7 million in new venture funding. Participating investors include Conversion Venture Capital, Otium Capital, and a group of angels. (Newswire)

  • Skye, a NYC-based personal and professional coaching platform, raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding. Participating investors include Stellation Capital, Day One Ventures, Incite.org, and a group of angels. (Insider)

  • July 14: Virtual: How VCs Can Help Founders During a Downturn, with H/L Ventures managing partner Oliver Libby, 8VC executive in residence Lauren DeMeuse, and Build Talent cofounder Jose Guardado. Hosted by Getro. Register here.

  • July 14: In-person: Under, Over, Through, a showcase with artists from NEW INC’s Creative Science Track. Hosted by Newlab. Register here.

  • July 19: In-person: Bloomberg Crypto Summit, with FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, Uniswap Labs COO Mary-Catherine Lader, Grayscale chief legal officer Craig Salm, and others. Hosted by Bloomberg. Register here.

  • July 20: In-person: The City’s Path to Becoming the World’s Crypto Capital, with New York State Dept. of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris, eToro US CEO Lule Demmissie, Genesis CEO Michael Moro, and others. Hosted by Crain’s New York Business. Register here.

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