Blueprint for New York - Creating a Roadmap for Change

Jul 23, 2026

Uploaded by Finn

Blueprint for New York - Creating a Roadmap for Change reviews how New York’s competitiveness has weakened relative to faster-growing states through higher friction in doing business, anti-competitive policy effects, and increasing regulatory and compliance burden. The report examines labor force and demographic aging trends that reduce prime working-age residents, erode political influence, and widen talent gaps beyond New York City. It also incorporates stakeholder feedback to identify drivers and formulates recommendations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages77

Reading Time3 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Project Approach and Methodology

Stakeholder Feedback

Analysis

Factors Influencing Competitiveness

Conclusion and Recommendations

Appendices

Key Performance Indicators

Industry Cluster Analysis

Full Survey Results

Organization List

Blueprint for New York – Creating a Roadmap for Change Prepared for: The Public Policy Institute of New York September 2025 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction 2 II. Project Approach and Methodology 10 III. Stakeholder Feedback 12 IV . Analysis 17 Factors Influencing Competitiveness 17 Business Climate 19 Workforce 27 Infrastructure 34 Innovation 40 V . Conclusion and Recommendations 43 Appendices 47 A. Key Performance Indicators 47 B. Industry Cluster Analysis 50 C. Full Survey Results 60 D. Organization List 75 | I. Introduction
John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize winning author famously said,“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.” Unfortunately, when talented workers and ﬁrms choose to locate in states other than New York today, they’re not kidding at all. Instead, they’re making rational economic decisions that result from New York’s anti-competitive policies and the incredibly high hassle-factor of doing business in the state.
The Collins Idioms Dictionary, a comprehensive guide to understanding and using English idioms, deﬁnes“lose your edge” as when someone or something no longer has “the special skills, qualities or advantages that they had in the past.” Over the past couple of decades, distinct advantages to living and working in New York have disappeared as other states have aggressively worked to compete, reducing corporate and personal income tax rates, implementing pro-growth processes, and reducing regulations and red tape.
While New York had a great run for more than a century, economic and qualitative data demonstrate that asa state, New York isn’t “losing its edge,” but has “lost its edge” in competitiveness relative to other states. In many cases, New York’s economic performance and population metrics more closely resemble the economic and demographic trends of Louisiana or Michigan as opposed to some of the fastest-growing states, particularly Texas and Florida.
Does “New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere” still apply?
This best-known quote about New York illustrated the position of the state when it was at the epicenter of the United States economy. Unfortunately, today it is often easier to succeed elsewhere. Talent and ﬁrms are | | | --- | --- | | ﬁnding more attractive states and discovering other more competitive locations in which to live and work.
The state’s economy is in a slow decline, obscured by the volume of activity and bright lights that gloss over the economic reality of a state that has lost its economic edge in
many ways. |
“We are focused on expanding our business…in any other state but here.”
- Executive of a New York-based manufacturing firm interviewed for this project | | New York’s population is aging…and as a result the state will have nearly 1.5 million fewer prime working age residents by 2035 than in 2005.
Over the past 20 years, New York’s total population has been stable, growing by just less than one percent (+0 .08%), making it the 47th fastest growing state. The only states growing slower were losing population:
Michigan (-0 .04%); Illinois (-1 .6%) and West Virginia (-2 . 2%) . Other states with growth rates similar to New York include Louisiana (+0 .09%) and Mississippi (+1 .2%) .
In looking at demographic changes of the population between 2005 and 2025, New York has gained over 1.3 million people aged 65 and older, who now comprise almost 20 percent of the population (19 .6%) . During the same period, the population of children 19 and under shrank by 758,973 children, and the prime working age population of ages 25 to 54 shrank by 799,633 people. Projections for the next ten years show | | | New York increasing older residents (+496,862) and decreasing prime working age (-632,846) and children ( - 674,716) .
New York lost 9.6% of its prime working age population between 2005 and 2025. During the same time,

FAQs

What does the report mean by “losing its edge” in competitiveness?

It describes New York’s weakening performance relative to other states, driven by anti-competitive policies and the high hassle-factor of operating in the state.

How does the report connect demographics to economic outcomes in New York?

It links an aging population and declining prime working-age residents to labor constraints that can raise wages and push employers toward other states.

What stakeholder feedback is emphasized regarding the business climate?

Survey and focus group responses highlight the volume of state and local regulation and the difficulty of keeping pace with rapid legislative changes.

Jul 23, 2026

Uploaded by Finn