Oneida County survey finds 52 percent of responding businesses closed but plan to reopen

UTICA, N.Y. — More than half (52 percent) of Oneida County businesses responding to a survey say they have closed but plan to reopen.

Another 34 percent have laid off between one and 10 employees, while 8 percent are open with “minimum interruption.”

Those are some of the findings in Oneida County’s COVID-19 Business Impact Survey that Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. released Wednesday.

The survey also found that 1 percent of respondents closed and will not reopen; 10 percent are hiring; 59 percent have had no layoffs; 61 percent of employers have lost 80 percent of their monthly revenue; and 80 percent of respondents do not have business-interruption insurance.

“This data is important to help guide us, our partners and state and federal policy makers in driving assistance to where it is needed now and in crafting broader policy solutions for the future,” Picente said.

The survey was made available to Oneida County businesses on March 25, and has been answered by more than 300 respondents thus far.

The county conducted the survey in partnership with Mohawk Valley EDGE, the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce, the Genesis Group of the Mohawk Valley, and the Central New York Defense Alliance.

The county has shared the results with local, state, and federal partners.

“I want to thank our partners for their work in helping to administer this survey and all the work they have done to help businesses and nonprofits in Oneida County,” Picente added.

The Oneida County COVID-19 Business Impact Survey is still available and those interested can take it through this link.