Since 2007 Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) has been conducting an annual survey of Upstate New York Business Leaders. The Business Leaders Study measures the perceptions that business leaders have of the current and future business conditions for Upstate New York including: business leaders’ confidence, expectations for revenues, profits, labor force and challenges for the year ahead.
View the data and analysis from each year’s study below.
Siena College: 18th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEO Confidence Rises as More See Brighter Future
- Upstate Business Leaders Continue to See State Government as a Problem; Confidence in D.C. Up by Over 20 Points As Trump Takes Office
- Expectations for Revenues, Profits & Fixed Asset Buying All Up; Workforce – Not Enough, Not Ready to Contribute – Woes Continue
Siena College: 17th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEO Confidence Slumps; 2/3rds Say Business Conditions Have Worsened; Revenue & Profit Projections Decline
- 29% Look to Hire; Only 13% See Ample Supply of Workers; Majorities Offer Tough Assessment of Applicants; 75% Continue Having Trouble Recruiting
- Doing Business in NY: Assets include Quality of Life, Tourist Attractions, Natural Resources; Detriments include State Govt., Permitting Process, Crime and Lack of Affordable Housing
Siena College: 16th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- Upstate NY CEO Confidence Plummets; 54% Say Economy has Worsened and Only 19% Expect 2023 Improvement
- Revenue & Profit Projections Down Sharply from Last Year; 85% Say Inflation Having Negative Impact; Over Half Will Still Invest in Fixed Assets
- 75% Having Difficulty Filling Open Positions; Many Increasing Wages, Offering Flexible Hours but CEOs Oppose Increasing Minimum Wage to $15 by 59-31%, Say Higher Minimum Wage Will Hurt Business
Siena College: 15th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEOs Growing More Optimistic as Upstate Continues on Road to Recovery; 32% Emerging from COVID Stronger than Before
- Expectations Up for Revenue, Profits, Investments; 44% Looking to Hire
- But Concerns Abound: Rising Costs, Difficulties Recruiting & Retaining Workforce, Energy Costs, Global Politically Instability, and Lack of Confidence in Gov’t Support
Siena College: 14th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- 80% CEOs Say Economic Conditions Worsened Since COVID; Only 40% Predict Improvement in 2021
- Virus Has Increased Costs, Decreased Revenue, Profits & Demand
- 37% Expect to Emerge from Pandemic Stronger & Positioned for Success; CEOs Give Government Low Grades, Call for Tax & Regulation Relief
Siena College: 14th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- 80% CEOs Say Economic Conditions Worsened Since COVID; Only 40% Predict Improvement in 2021
- Virus Has Increased Costs, Decreased Revenue, Profits & Demand
- 37% Expect to Emerge from Pandemic Stronger & Positioned for Success; CEOs Give Government Low Grades, Call for Tax & Regulation Relief
Siena College: 13th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- Upstate CEO’s Grow More Pessimistic but Don’t Expect Recession in 2020
- Business Leaders Have Scant Confidence in NYS Government’s Support as Optimism about Federal Help Declines
- Concerns Include Government Regulation, Health Care Costs, Workforce Suitability, Despite Challenges, 41% Expect Increasing Revenues, 34% Growing Profits
Siena College: 11th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- Revenue & Profits Predicted to Drop Slightly; Hiring Holds at 37%; Fixed Asset Acquisitions Target to Increase
- Business Leaders Say Health Care Costs, Regulation Hurt Bottom Line; Growing Number Now Confident Federal Govt. Will Improve Business Climate; Pluralities Say Health of National Economy, Business Taxes on Right Track
- Half of CEOs Aware of Disruptive Technologies; 73% See as Opportunity but Aside from Internet and Cloud, Adoption Slow
Siena College: 10th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEO Confidence Up; Cap Region Hits 10-Year High, Buffalo, Syracuse Rise Sharply, Rochester Unchanged Across Upstate Expect Increasing Revenues, Profits & Hiring
- Business Leaders Say Health Care Costs, Regulation Hurt Bottom Line; Growing Number Now Confident Federal Govt. Will Improve Economy
- 64% Expect to be in Business in NY in Ten Years; 21% Predict Better Business Climate in Decade to Come, 35% Expect Worsening
Siena College: 9th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEO Confidence Drops Across Upstate
- Cap Reg Most Upbeat; Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse All Below Breakeven Point
- Business Leaders Say Obamacare, Gov’t Regulation Hurt Bottom Line; Have Little Confidence in Local Government, Albany, Less in D.C.
- Call for Tax Reforms, Infrastructure; Strongly Oppose $15 Minimum Wage
Siena College: 8th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEO Confidence Hits Eight Year High
- Predict Increasing Revenues, Profits, Asset Acquisitions & Hiring
- Business Leaders Say Obamacare, Gov’t Regulation Hurt Bottom Line; Have Little Confidence in Albany, Less in D.C.
- Support Infrastructure Development Especially Bridges and Roads
Siena College: 7th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEO Confidence Up; Cautiously Optimistic on Revenue, Profit Growth; Capital Region Strongest Region
- Half See Ample Supply of Trained Local Workers; Most Give Poor Grades to Job Applicants
- Business Leaders Worry About Health Care Costs, Gov Regulation; Have LIttle Confidence in Albany, Less in D.C.
- 34% Support Tax-Free NY Plan; 2/3rds Dread Obamacare
Siena College: 6th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- Business Leader Confidence Fallen Since Last Year; More Negative for the First Time in Three Years
- CEOs Frustrated with the Economy; Anticipate Declining Revenues and Profitability in 2013
- Lack Confidence in New York’s Political Leaders to Help in Creating a Business Climate Where They Can Succeed
4th Annual Pennsylvania Business Leaders Study
- Read the executive summary and crosstabs
2nd Annual Connecticut/Massachusetts Business Leaders Study
- Read the executive summary and crosstabs
Siena College: 5th Annual Upstate NY Study
- CEO Confidence Remains Stable
- After Two Years of Sizable Increases, Confidence Flat Among New York’s CEOs
- Signals of a Stalled Economic Recovery
- Business Leaders Predict 2012 Will Look Like 2011
3rd Annual Pennsylvania Business Leaders Study
- Read the report and data
1st Annual Connecticut/Massachusetts Business Leaders Study
- Read the report and data
Siena College: 4th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- Growing Number of CEOs Say They Survived Economic Downturn
- Overall Confidence Up 12 Points From Last Year
2nd Annual Pennsylvania Business Leaders Study
- Read the report and data
Siena College: 3rd Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- CEOs Remain Concerned and Cautious
- Growing Number of CEOs See Bright Future
- Majority More Optimistic and Expect 2010 to be Better Year
1st Annual Pennsylvania Business Leaders Study
- Read the report and data
Siena College: 2nd Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- Business Conditions Worse in NYS Than They Were 6 Months Ago
- 72% of CEOs Expect Economic Conditions to Worse
- Overall Business Leader Confidence Down Significantly
Siena College: 1st Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey
- Majority of Business Leaders Say the Business Climate in NY is Worse Than it was Six Months Ago
- Slight Majority Predict Increased Revenues in Coming Year
- Taxation and Energy Costs Are Business Leaders’ Biggest Challenges