Philadelphia to demand contractors hire more city residents

Philadelphia City Council is expected to resume a hearing today about mandating half of the hours worked on non-professional city contracts go to Philadelphians.

African-American Chamber of Commerce head Steven Bradley says he think’s it’s a good idea to get more city residents hired to work on city contracts.

“Anything that’s going to generate some additional employment opportunities I am 100 percent supportive,” said Bradley. “I think this is a measure to make some improvements and get some residents of the city back to work.”

The bill would apply to contracts worth $150,000 or more and sets a goal for hiring Philadelphians since a strict quota would be illegal.

In his role as a businessman however, Bradley does have some worries about the measure.

“The downside is as we add more regulations, it makes the city less attractive to new businesses,” he said.

A companion bill would mandate employers receiving support from the city interview at least 10 city residents when hiring.