SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A new report from CenterState CEO finds 59 percent of 233 businesspeople surveyed expect to boost jobs and hiring in 2026, down 4 percent from last year.
The survey also found nearly 70 percent of those surveyed (68 percent) anticipate increased sales or revenue in the new year, down 9 percent from the 2025 projections.
That’s according to the 2026 Economic Forecast for Central New York report that CenterState CEO released on Thursday during its Economic Forecast event at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter. Baldwinsville–based Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) conducted the survey.
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The program attracted 725 attendees, CenterState CEO tells CNYBJ.
The report includes the insight and projections of CenterState CEO members and business leaders from across industry sectors, with perspectives on company growth, employment trends, and expected impacts on their own businesses and the region’s economy from major initiatives and investments taking place in the region.
Besides the hiring and revenue projections, the survey found 60 percent of respondents expect to expand products and services in 2026, down 4 percent from the prior-year projections. And 53 percent anticipate they will increase capital investments, up 8 percent from 2025.
Of those surveyed, 77 percent have a positive outlook for Central New York’s economic health. And 64 percent of respondents expect the strength of their own business in 2026 will be “above average” or “excellent.”
Survey respondents named the top three most prominent economic factors impacting Central New York businesses in 2026 as: federal policy or regulatory requirements/changes; U.S. trade policy (e.g., tariff policy); and employee benefits and costs. Inflation, availability of skilled labor, housing availability and affordability, and the impact of artificial intelligence were routinely mentioned in responses as additional challenges in the year ahead.
“Forecasters again expressed strong optimism about their own business outlook and the strength of the regional economy. They expect solid performance, continued hiring and are investing to meet customer demand and new markets. They’re bullish on Central New York’s 2026 economy, even as they acknowledge real uncertainties…,” Ben Sio, SVP of strategy, policy and planning and chief of staff at CenterState CEO, said in the announcement. “Micron’s historic groundbreaking, one of the largest projects in U.S. history, helps address those concerns and signals extraordinary momentum. Central New York is also outperforming the rest of New York State for the first time in more than two decades. To sustain this progress, we must ensure small and midsized businesses can grow, compete, and keep pace so more people and communities benefit from the opportunities ahead.”
Liu conversation
This year’s event also included a conversation with Amy Liu, nonresident senior fellow with the Brookings Institution. It focused on the region’s new growth trajectory and the interventions that are needed to solve challenges and maximize opportunities, CenterState CEO said.
“Amid so much future uncertainty, one thing is certain: the strong civic collaboration and trust in Central New York have made this semiconductor moment possible, and that same asset will provide the conditions for success going forward,” Liu said. “This region has demonstrated it can adapt and rise. With continued business and community engagement — and CenterState CEO’s partnership — there is strong reason to be optimistic about Central New York’s future.”
Liu brings nearly three decades of experience as both a scholar and executive committed to improving governance and public policies at the local, national and global levels, along with a depth of knowledge of the Central New York region.
“Amy’s participation in this event was a full-circle moment for many of us who have long been committed to transforming Central New York’s economy,” Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, said. “With the early support of the Brookings Institution, we built a data-driven foundation that continues to guide our collaborative efforts. Her perspective reinforces why our focus on critical challenges like energy, housing and inclusive growth is more important than ever.”
Keynote presentation
Luke Tilley, chief economist for Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc., was the event’s keynote speaker.
He provided a national economic perspective with a presentation of Wilmington’s 2026 Capital Markets Forecast. His remarks included a window into the effect of current national economic policies and trends, such as the impacts of tariffs; the shrinking of the labor force, demographics, immigration policy, and artificial intelligence; and the U.S. debt trajectory.
“We see the U.S. economy entering 2026 in decent shape, but firms and consumers are navigating a quickly-changing business environment through federal policies that we have dubbed ‘Economic Experimentation,’” Tilley said. “Though the experiments can create challenges, they also offer investment opportunities in areas that are most likely to benefit. While businesses have been reluctant to hire and lay out capital expenditures because of tariffs and uncertainty, we expect the labor market and job growth to eventually pick back up, which will help asset markets.”
