CEOs across upstate New York have little to no confidence in New York State government and its representatives, according to the latest Business Council and Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) poll.
Eighty-three percent of CEOs surveyed say they are either "not very" or "not at all" confident in state government to improve the business climate over the next year. Only 1% of CEOs say they are "very confident" the climate will improve, with 16% saying they are "somewhat confident."
The SCRI upstate CEO poll is done in partnership with The Business Council of New York State. The survey was done between November 2022 and February 2023, with 530 CEOs polled from seven regions. This was the 16th year the poll was conducted.
When asked about the job state government is currently doing to create a climate in which businesses could grow and succeed, an overwhelming majority, 62%, said lawmakers were doing a "poor" job, with 27% saying they believe the effort is "fair."
CEOs were asked about specific measures and areas of focus the state could take to improve the business climate, with the top answer being a focus on "business income tax relief" 54%, followed by "personal income tax relief" 51%, and "spending cuts" 51%. Other suggested areas of focus included "workforce development", "sales tax reform", and "climate change."