Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
Survey: Hiring managers say AI is top hard skill to have on résumé in 2025
As technology continues to advance and the workplace landscape changes, the skills that employers seek are also evolving. A recent survey of hiring managers by Resume Builder, a provider of professional résumé templates and career advice, found that artificial intelligence (AI) abilities represent the most-important hard skill for job candidates to have on their résumé. […]
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
[bypass-paywall-buynow-link link_text=”Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article”].
As technology continues to advance and the workplace landscape changes, the skills that employers seek are also evolving. A recent survey of hiring managers by Resume Builder, a provider of professional résumé templates and career advice, found that artificial intelligence (AI) abilities represent the most-important hard skill for job candidates to have on their résumé.
The survey found hiring managers cited AI abilities such as machine learning and generative AI tools (47 percent), followed by sales and customer relationship management skills using platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot (40 percent) as the top two most sought-after skills.
Skills in data analysis and visualization (39 percent), cloud computing and storage (37 percent), and project-management expertise (37 percent) rounded out the top five hard skills cited in the survey.
“It’s no surprise that AI skills are among the most sought-after by employers today,” Resume Builder’s Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller, said in the survey report. “Organizations that aim to boost productivity and stay competitive recognize that AI expertise is a key driver in achieving these goals.
“Rather than investing time in training employees from scratch, companies are increasingly looking for candidates who possess AI skills, customer relationship management (CRM) expertise, and data analysis. Employees with these high-demand skills can be onboarded and start contributing meaningfully more quickly, improving business operations and tackling complex challenges.”
Resume Builder said it commissioned polling platform Pollfish to conduct the survey online on its behalf. A total of 1,000 U.S. full-time manager-level employees completed the survey. To qualify for the survey, all participants had to be over the age of 25, have a household income of at least $75,000, have a manager-level role or higher, be employed full-time, and work at a company with more than 11 employees. Respondents also had to indicate via a screening question that they currently are involved in hiring decisions.
OPINION: Majority in Poll Support DOGE
The latest Harvard-Harris poll — taken Feb. 19-20, with results issued Feb. 24 — found 72 percent of Americans say they support having a U.S. government agency devoted to efficiency efforts. It also found that 60 percent say that President Donald Trump’s White House Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making major cuts to expenditures.
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
[bypass-paywall-buynow-link link_text=”Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article”].
The latest Harvard-Harris poll — taken Feb. 19-20, with results issued Feb. 24 — found 72 percent of Americans say they support having a U.S. government agency devoted to efficiency efforts. It also found that 60 percent say that President Donald Trump’s White House Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making major cuts to expenditures.
That includes 67 percent of independents, 60 percent of Democrats. and 89 percent of Republicans who think there should be an agency devoted to efficiency; and 57 percent of independents, 37 percent of Democrats, and 85 percent of Republicans who feel DOGE is making big cuts to spending.
And 59 percent say they support cutting expenditures that were already allocated by Congress, including 55 percent of independents, 35 percent of Democrats, and 85 percent of Republicans.
The poll also found 52 percent want DOGE to be looking at every item on the federal budget, including 47 percent of independents, 32 percent of Democrats, and 76 percent of Republicans.
There is a caveat: 58 percent of poll respondents want to ensure that personal, sensitive information of Americans is restricted, including 63 percent of independents, 75 percent of Democrats, and 39 percent of Republicans. On that count, federal law already protects the personal information of Americans, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and tax records — safeguards that apply to all government employees who are accessing them.
So, there might not be too much that Congress needs to do there, since personal information of those legitimately receiving government benefits is already restricted in terms of public disclosure. But the White House might wish to remind the American people of how information is handled, whether by the Department of Treasury, the Social Security Administration, etc. in performing audits.
It’s still good news for President Trump. As it turns out, when the president leads and focuses on cutting wasteful spending in the federal government, it is quite popular with the American people. In the same poll, 52 percent of Americans say they support the job President Trump is doing, which includes the efforts by DOGE, situated in the White House, to tackle wasteful spending. That includes 45 percent of independents, 18 percent of Democrats, and 89 percent of Republicans who say they approve of Trump’s handling of his job.
These are by far the best approval numbers for Trump that has ever experienced since he became a politician in 2015, and affirms his win of the popular vote in the 2024 election.
This is a mandate — and with a clearly articulated mission to limit the size and scope of government, it gives President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress a lot of political capital to spend as eyes begin turning toward the budget process underway in the House and Senate.
As much as voters like what Trump and DOGE are doing, they want Congress to have a role in setting spending priorities, with 58 percent saying they want Congress to determine how the government spends its money. But only 51 percent say they trust Congress to do so, with 49 percent saying the president.
In other words, voters want Trump to lead Congress in his crusade against wasteful spending. They want Congress to opt into that quest when they undertake the budget process. That is a clear signal to House Speaker Mike Johson (R–Louisiana) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–South Dakota) to get serious about the budget — including with the cuts being proposed by Trump and DOGE.
The poll found 67 percent say that the $36 trillion national debt is unsustainable, including 74 percent of independents, 66 percent of Democrats, and 63 percent of Republicans.
And 83 percent say the government should make moves to balance the budget, calling it realistic, including 79 percent of independents, 76 percent of Democrats, and 92 percent of Republicans. Voters want the government to act.
To get there, though, will require difficult choices but some are not so difficult in the public’s eyes. For example, 81 percent support deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, including 80 percent of independents, 70 percent of Democrats, and 92 percent of Republicans.
Robert Romano is the VP of public policy at Americans for Limited Government, a conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that says it is dedicated to restoring constitutionally limited government, allowing individuals to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
OPINION: Why Congress Should Protect Its Turf Amid President’s Flurry
Ever since Donald J. Trump was sworn in as president, it’s felt as though every day has brought a fresh assertion of presidential power — often at Congress’s expense. It began on the first day with a couple dozen executive orders, and has continued apace with declarations affecting the federal bureaucracy, inspectors general, crucial public-health
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
[bypass-paywall-buynow-link link_text=”Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article”].
Ever since Donald J. Trump was sworn in as president, it’s felt as though every day has brought a fresh assertion of presidential power — often at Congress’s expense. It began on the first day with a couple dozen executive orders, and has continued apace with declarations affecting the federal bureaucracy, inspectors general, crucial public-health communications, federal grants and loans, and more.
There will be plenty of time in coming months to get into the specifics of how the Trump administration is trying to reshape the federal government in its preferred image. But today, I want to look at those unilateral executive orders — and President Trump ‘s bid to freeze grants and loans that don’t align with his policies — and why they’re a test that Congress needs not to fail.
The first thing to remember is that it’s hardly novel for a president to grab for power. Every president in living memory has tried to do so, and often for understandable reasons. The modern world demands quick, decisive action. Americans like presidents who act forcefully. And Congress is complex, convoluted, and hard to work with; it is far easier for an administration to act on its own. In recent decades, even members of Congress have deferred to the president, giving him room to address issues they don’t want to tackle or can’t agree upon.
Presidents have wielded executive orders to great effect. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation; FDR’s Works Progress Administration; John Kennedy’s Peace Corps; affirmative action under Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon — all came about through executive orders. There’s no question this would be a different country without them.
Yet in a real way, many executive orders are a sign of weakness, not of strength. They’re a bid to make an end-run around Congress, because the administration knows that up on Capitol Hill, it might encounter insurmountable opposition to its goals.
But Capitol Hill is exactly where controversial policies need to be vetted. We have been a democracy and a great nation because of the long history of consultation, interaction, and mutual respect between the two branches. Americans after the Revolutionary War explicitly did not want to create a king as the head of state. That is why the Constitution circumscribes the president’s powers and gives key authority to the courts and to Congress — the branch that actually represents Americans in all their regional, political, ideological, and personal diversity. Plain and simple, we get a voice in government because of Congress, not because of the president.
This is why, in the end, there is no substitute for legislation. In our system, presidents cannot write a budget or reform entitlements by themselves. Because executive orders lack the permanence and force of law, they can be hard to implement and can be reversed by a later president. They are more subject to legal challenge than legislation. And most important, executive orders do not benefit from a process of consensus-building and a range of perspectives independent of the president’s.
With his executive orders and especially with his declaration that he has the power to freeze federal grants and loans — money that was explicitly appropriated by Congress — President Trump is trying to upend all that. As one Democratic senator said recently, the move “undermines the entire architecture of the Constitution. It essentially makes the president into a king.”
The courts will weigh in on the legalities of that and other moves. I’m more concerned with how Congress reacts. Because in key ways, it’s not just a branch of government: It’s the cornerstone of how a free people govern themselves. Sure, it can be frustrating to need to find compromises and to strive for consensus. But without them, we become a harsher country, where the strong prey on those without power. Congress has its issues and problems, but in the end it’s where you and I should be able to go with an expectation that we’ll be treated with equal respect. If Congress doesn’t stand up for itself, it’s failing us as well.
Lee Hamilton, 93, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.
Ask Rusty: About Claiming Social Security when I have an HSA
Dear Rusty: I have reached my full retirement age (FRA) (66 years, plus 8 months) and plan to apply for Social Security (SS) this month. However, I’ve seen articles which say that when I apply, I must also take Medicare Part A. This, even though I am continuing to work and am covered by my
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
[bypass-paywall-buynow-link link_text=”Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article”].
Dear Rusty: I have reached my full retirement age (FRA) (66 years, plus 8 months) and plan to apply for Social Security (SS) this month. However, I’ve seen articles which say that when I apply, I must also take Medicare Part A. This, even though I am continuing to work and am covered by my employer’s health insurance (a high deductible plan). I contribute bi-weekly into a heath savings account (HSA). I’ve read that Medicare back dates Part A coverage by six months, which suggests I would have had to stop contributing to my HSA six months ago. If this is true, will I need to pay penalties and such to the IRS? I’m not able to find anything else about this topic, and I’m wondering what you might have to say. I have my wife and two children on my employer’s high-deductible health plan (HDHP). We contribute $6,000 annually to our HSA and my employer contributes $1,250 on January 1 each year. We can live without the HSA, but the taxes and IRS penalties concern me.
Signed: Wanting to Claim SS (but concerned)
Dear Wanting to Claim: I’m afraid that what you’ve read is correct — it is mandatory for you to take Medicare Part A (inpatient hospitalization coverage) when receiving Social Security benefits after age 65. Medicare Part A is free to you, and even though you are still covered under your employer’s creditable HDHP and can delay taking Medicare Part B, you must take Medicare Part A to collect Social Security after age 65. Medicare and your employer’s plan will coordinate health-care benefit payments.
That does, however, also mean your HSA will be affected because, as you have found, Medicare will backdate your Part A coverage by six months. And because Part A is not a high-deductible plan (a requirement for HSA), any contributions you make after the effective date of Part A will be subject to an IRS penalty, and your HSA contributions won’t be considered tax-exempt. This will mean the IRS will likely assess a 6 percent excise tax on any contributions made after your Part A effective date, and you’ll need to pay income tax on those contributions.
What you may wish to consider is stopping your HSA contributions now and waiting an additional six months or so to claim your Social Security benefits (to get beyond the HSA penalty phase). This would have the advantage of avoiding the IRS penalty on your HSA contributions and would also increase your Social Security benefit due to delayed retirement credits (DRCs). You earn DRCs at the rate of 0.677 percent for each month beyond your FRA that you wait to claim, which means an SS benefit about 4 percent higher if you wait six months longer to claim SS.
Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
Author’s note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained, and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.
Oneida Health Hospital joins Upstate University Hospital’s telestroke network
ONEIDA, N.Y. — Oneida Health Hospital in Oneida has joined the telestroke network at Upstate University Hospital’s comprehensive stroke center in Syracuse. Through its telestroke
Cornell University, Yates County firm win funding in NYS Microelectronics Innovation Challenge
ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University and a company operating in Yates County are among the recipients of funding in the New York State Microelectronics Innovation
SUNY Oswego President Nwosu named to CNY Regional Economic Development Council
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul has named SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu to the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council. As a member of the Council, Nwosu will collaborate with a group of business leaders, community stakeholders, educators, and policymakers to shape the region’s economic future. The appointment recognizes the “vital economic role”
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
[bypass-paywall-buynow-link link_text=”Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article”].
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul has named SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu to the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council.
As a member of the Council, Nwosu will collaborate with a group of business leaders, community stakeholders, educators, and policymakers to shape the region’s economic future.
The appointment recognizes the “vital economic role” that Nwosu and SUNY Oswego play in Central New York. It also acknowledges Nwosu’s leadership, expertise, and commitment to economic growth in the region and beyond through Vision 4040. That is the university’s plan to expand opportunities for higher-educational attainment, increase upward mobility, and advance regional economic development, SUNY Oswego said.
“I am truly honored and humbled to join this distinguished Council, which has played a pivotal role in laying a strong foundation for the economic resurgence of Central New York — from major initiatives like Micron to various projects and partnerships, all aimed at supporting the greater good,” Nwosu said in a SUNY Oswego announcement. “I look forward to collaborating with the Council to help shape an even brighter future for our region.”
New York has 10 Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) that support the state’s approach to economic growth, which engages regional stakeholders to map out regional strategic plans.
Through the REDCs, community, business, academic leaders, and members of the public use their knowledge and understanding of local priorities and assets to help direct state investment in support of job creation and economic growth.
Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties awarded record amount last year
UTICA, N.Y. — The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties awarded more than $15.7 million in grants, scholarships, and emergency relief funds in 2024,
Turning Stone Enterprises plans hiring events for seasonal jobs
VERONA, N.Y. — Turning Stone Enterprises announced it will host three hiring events in March to fill hundreds of seasonal positions at its golf courses,
United Way of Central New York president to retire at year’s end
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Nancy Kern Eaton, who has served as president of the United Way of Central New York since 2017, plans to retire at the end of 2025. Under Eaton’s leadership, United Way of CNY expanded community awareness and the organization’s role as a “collaborative hub for human-service organizations and coalitions,” the organization said.
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
[bypass-paywall-buynow-link link_text=”Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article”].
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Nancy Kern Eaton, who has served as president of the United Way of Central New York since 2017, plans to retire at the end of 2025.
Under Eaton’s leadership, United Way of CNY expanded community awareness and the organization’s role as a “collaborative hub for human-service organizations and coalitions,” the organization said.
“Choosing to retire is about taking more time with my husband, children, and grandchildren,” Eaton said in informing the United Way’s board of directors of her decision. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, as I have been connected to the United Way of Central New York in a variety of ways for over 25 years. It has been a privilege to serve in this role, working with an extraordinary Board, exceptional and dedicated staff members, and many community members who are partners in this work. I am excited about the innovative work that is taking place and I am confident that the organization is ready for its next chapter.”
Eaton’s accomplishments included the creation of Thrive at Work; “significant” expansion of CNY Book Buddies program; and development of the Full STEAM Ahead literacy initiative, the United Way said.
She also led the organization’s participation in pandemic response and helped to establish the COVID-19 Community Support Fund. During Eaton’s tenure, United Way of CNY celebrated its 100th anniversary and reestablished the Day of Caring, the community’s single largest day of volunteer service.
“Nancy is an extraordinary champion for Central New York,” Kerry Tarolli, who chairs the United Way of Central New York board of directors, said in the announcement. “Her leadership over the last seven and a half years has been exceptional, and she will be missed. Thanks to Nan’s innovation, and the remarkable team she has built, United Way of CNY is positioned to continue its century-long legacy of impact, empowering the community to thrive.”
Besides leading the United Way’s board of directors, Tarolli is also a partner at King + King Architects.
Tarolli will also lead a transitions committee, and the United Way will share more information about its transition plans in the coming weeks.
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.