New York state wants you. Or, at the very least, more workers. 

As a workforce shortage continues to hamper sectors of the economy, New York officials in recent weeks have taken steps to boost recruitment in the public workforce. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration announced recently it would waive fees for all civil service examinations beginning July 1 and running through December 2025. 

"As our state continues to grapple with an affordability crisis, civil service exam fees place yet another burden on New Yorkers — particularly the passionate New Yorkers seeking meaningful careers in state service," Hochul said. "By waiving these fees, my administration is standing by its commitment to modernizing New York's workforce and lowering barriers to ensure that our civil servants reflect the rich diversity of our state."

Fee waivers have previously been in place for veterans as well as people receiving public assistance and unemployed New Yorkers. Tests for everyone else can cost as much as $40. 

“Waiving the fee for civil service exams removes a real barrier for job seekers who want to pursue multiple opportunities in state government," said state Sen. John Mannion. "I encourage anyone looking for a job to consider a rewarding career in public service and to take advantage of the fee waiver by taking exams for the many positions currently available.”

The fee waiving is the latest effort by New York to make it easier to join the public workforce. The Hochul administration last month announced it would raise the maximum age for State Police recruitment from 29 to 34. 

New York has about 188,455 workers in the executive branch. Hochul last year signaled she wanted to hire more workers to bolster the state workforce. 

Fiscal hawks at the Empire Center presented a different picture, pointing to technological changes driving the workforce reduction even before the pandemic-induced workforce decline. Public-sector labor unions, too, have driven the effort to boost hiring. 

Still, the state has sought to make hiring a priority and the exam waiver fee is part of the effort. 

"Removing exam application fees for all state civil service exams is one of the many proactive steps that New York State is taking to help make a career in public service more accessible for all," said Civil Service Commissioner Timothy Hogues. "At the Department of Civil Service, we are making improvements to eliminate barriers to entry for civil service jobs and transforming the State's approach to meeting our workforce needs to help recruit and retain a diverse and talented workforce that will serve all New Yorkers."