Public Sector Unions 2026

Budget September 2026

Mayor Mamdani's first contract round meets a budget that funds 1.25% raises

Personnel is half of what New York City spends. DC 37's contract expires November 6, 2026, the financial plan reserves 1.25% a year for raises, and the last round paid 3% a year. These six charts show where labor costs stand going in.

$550M–$600M City-funded cost of each 1% raise for the full workforce

1.25% annual raises funded in the financial plan

50.9% personnel share of the FY2027 adopted budget, down from 54.1% in FY2017

65.1% of public sector workers in NYC belong to a union

Charts in this post

Line Chart

Personnel costs fell from 54% to 51% of the adopted budget

Personal services as a share of the adopted expense budget, fiscal 2017 to 2027.

11 fiscal years · NYC Open Data Explore →

Bar Chart

Health insurance and wages are set to outgrow the budget

Projected growth by city-funded spending line, fiscal 2026 to 2030.

7 spending lines · State Comptroller Explore →

Stacked Columns

Matching the last round's 3% would cost $4 billion a year more than the plan reserves by year four

What raises cost by contract year at the reserved 1.25% and at the last round's 3%.

4 contract years · City Comptroller Explore →

Bar and line charts

Overtime hit a record $2.85 billion

Fiscal 2026 overtime against budget by agency, and overtime paid since fiscal 2014.

10 agencies · 12 fiscal years Explore →

Column Chart

The City's pension bill falls $1.8 billion by 2030

Planned city-funded pension contributions after the 2026 restructuring.

5 fiscal years · State Comptroller Explore →

Bar Chart

Two in three public workers in NYC are in a union

Public and private sector union density in the city, the state and the nation.

3 geographies · CUNY Explore →