Reports

Despite ongoing federal uncertainties, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has taken strides in advancing both its 2020-2024 and 2025-2029 capital programs. As of April 2026, the Authority has committed more than $38 billion from its $55.4 billion 2020-2024 program, reflecting both more financing certainty and accelerated project activity.

For State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025-26, agencies paid vendors $4,239,678 in interest for reasons including: delays in encumbrance processing, and agency backlog or agency processing delays.

Of the total contracts reported by State agencies in 2025, 76 percent were processed after their start or renewal dates, a decrease from 78 percent in 2024.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, median household income in every county in New York increased from 2019 to 2024. However, adjusting for inflation reveals that for many New York counties, incomes are not keeping pace with expenses, compounding affordability challenges.

Local government sales tax collections totaled $6.1 billion in the first quarter (January-March) of 2026, an increase of 5.1% ($295 million) compared to the same quarter last year. Nine of the 10 regions in the state, including New York City, had a year-over-year increase in collections. First quarter growth statewide was higher than the year-over-year growth for the same quarter in 2024 (1.6%) and 2025 (3.2%). | Regional Table

This report examines the usage and significance of New York State’s park system, managed by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Sites saw 86 million visits in 2025. This marks a 10-year increase of 16.7 million visits, (24 percent), or 45,701 more per day, since 2016.

New York lost 500 farms and 100,000 acres of farmland between 2024 and 2025, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in February 2026. While the U.S. also experienced losses in this time period, the 1.6 percent loss of farms in New York was double the national rate of 0.8 percent, and the 1.5 percent decline in farmland was five times the national rate.

Weekend ridership recovery across Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) services has risen faster than weekdays since the pandemic ended, with average ridership near 2019 levels and even exceeding it at times. The recovery gap between weekends and weekdays has accelerated in recent years, suggesting the MTA continue to adjust service in response.

New York State agency overtime costs increased 22.7% in 2025 for a total of $1.6 billion, while the number of overtime hours increased by 5.9%, or 1.4 million hours higher than the previous year. The size of the state workforce, not including SUNY and CUNY, grew for a third straight year in 2025 increasing by 2.7%, or 4,139 positions, from 2024, to an average annual total of 155,448.

The December unemployment rate in New York City remained higher than pre-pandemic levels for several demographic groups, particularly for youths and Blacks. This report also finds that non-college-educated unemployment is closer to pre-pandemic levels than college-educated unemployment, a major shift from earlier in the decade.

New York had one of the steepest drops of any state in international tourism in 2025, with overseas travelers falling 3% — a loss of over 176,000 visitors — second only to California. The decline is hurting the state’s economy, as fewer visitors means less spending and a smaller number of jobs in hotels and restaurants.

This report summarizes the financial state of the major local governments outside of New York City (counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and fire districts) for local fiscal years ending in 2024. The data is presented in a series of statistical “dashboards” that illustrate aggregate local government revenues, expenditures and debt, as well as those for each class of government. | NYS Local Government Interactive Data

Over the course of 2025, tariff levels were in flux; 43 executive orders were issued modifying tariffs on specific types of products or on specific countries. In addition, trade agreements were either made or amended which also modified tariff levels. These varying tariff policies injected uncertainty into the economy. As a result of the new policies, U.S. exports declined to over one-third of the nation’s trading partners and to almost one-half of New York’s trading partners in 2025

Wall Street’s securities industry bonus pool reached a record $49.2 billion in 2025, up 9% from the previous year, while the average bonus rose 6% to $246,900.The increases reflect a rise of more than 30% in Wall Street’s profits, which totaled $65.1 billion in 2025.

New York City’s $127 billion fiscal year 2027 preliminary budget (February Plan) provides more transparency for spending, addressing years of chronic underbudgeting and exposing an emerging structural budget gap that may require choices that threaten the city’s fiscal stability, competitiveness and affordability.

Seven villages were designated in fiscal stress under the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (FSMS) for their fiscal year ending in 2025. One village was designated in “significant fiscal stress,” four in “moderate fiscal stress,” and two as “susceptible to fiscal stress.”

This report details how vital small businesses are to New York’s economy, generating nearly $1 trillion in sales and revenues with more than 3.7 million employees at over 422,000 establishments in 2023. New York ranked fourth among states in the number of small businesses and third behind California and Florida for its share of small businesses, but trailed the rest of the country in some key metrics, including small business creation and employment.

This report uses federal-state employment and wage data, as well as occupational data and industry outlooks, to discuss the distribution of jobs by industry sector in New York State and the impact that some of the largest sectors have had on 21st-century jobs in the state’s nine economic development regions outside of New York City.

New York City’s Department for the Aging is facing rising demand for home care and case management services that help older residents remain independent, resulting in a growing waitlist for assistance. This report highlights challenges such as funding uncertainty that may affect the agency’s ability to meet increasing needs.

This report examines New York City’s expanded efforts to address the rise in its unsheltered (street homeless) population. The analysis recommends the City make better use of data collected through outreach, placement, and service programs to more clearly show where it has been most effective at helping people move into permanent housing. It also highlights the need to improve the efficiency of shelter placements as funding for street homeless programs is projected to remain largely flat after Fiscal Year 2026.