Here it is … the 2025 Business Guide. We just finished our 31th edition of the Business Guide, which lists hundreds of the largest employers in Central New York.
Subscribers and other readers are getting a copy of the publication in the mail now. It brings fresh statistics about population, income, pricing of housing and education. It also brings several listings showing the largest employers in four Central New York counties.
We survey all the companies and rely on the information they provide about employment figures. Then we put all the information in a spreadsheet and run the numbers.
Here is a glimpse of our findings — the largest employers based on employment figures:
Top private employers in Oswego County:
• Constellation: 1,411 employees
• Oswego Health: 1,365
• Novelis: 1,204
• Walmart: 880
• Oswego Co. Opportunities: 545
Top public employers in Oswego County:
• SUNY Oswego: 1,500
• Oswego County government: 1,189
• Oswego School District: 793
• Fulton City schools: 730
• Central Square School district: 704
For figures in Onondaga, Madison and Jefferson counties, we grouped private and public employers together.
Top employers in Onondaga County:
• SUNY Upstate Medical University: 11,725
• Syracuse University: 5,999
• St. Joseph’s Hospital: 3,977
• Crouse Health: 3,500
• Roman Catholic Diocese: 3,493
Top employers in Jefferson County:
• Fort Drum: 20,313
• Samaritan Health: 2,528
• The Arc Jefferson County-St. Lawrence: 1,200
• New York State: 850
• Jefferson County government: 790
Top employers in Cayuga County:
• Auburn Community: 1,450
• NYS Dept. of Corrections: 1,050
• Cayuga County government: 750
• Auburn Enlarged City School: 600
• Cayuga Onondaga BOCES: 400
A quick look at businesses on top shows that the area is still dominated by two major industries: education and health. The only manufacturer on the lists is Novelis in Scriba.
The good news is, there are tons of manufacturers in the region but most of them have under 500 employees. Some of them include Huhtamaki in Fulton, with 420 employees, Fulton in Pulaski with 300 and Felix Schoeller, also from the Pulaski area, with 190. When we combine all the employmeng numbers from these companies, we realize the impact the manufacturing sector has in the area. It’s huge.
Get your copy of the 2025 Business Guide. It’s a fascinating look at the companies that make Central New York strong.
When you subscribe to this magazine, we will send you a free copy in the mail.
Wagner Dotto is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
