Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has unveiled an ambitious plan to cut the city's jobless rate in half over the next three years.
The initiative, called Newark 2020, promises to hire at least 2,020 unemployed city residents by the year 2020.
At least two dozen corporations with major operations in Newark joined Baraka at Newark City Hall Monday to endorse the jobs campaign and make their own commitment to hire dozens -- in some cases, hundreds -- of Newarkers over the next three years, along with training if needed.
A handful of major employers have already started hiring, and supporters emphasize that it's a real program aimed at getting people not just to work but to better their lives.
"This is not about charity," said Kimberly McLain of Newark Business Alliance.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of jobs as 20,000 instead of 2,020.
