“Private market chugged along,” he told a gathering of some 160 members and guests attending the 2026 Hudson Valley Construction Industry Partnership Mid-Winter Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples. “But it continued to slow in 2025 from its earlier peak.”   

Looking ahead, he explained that workforce availability remains a leading challenge  for the industry. The Hudson Valley has lost approximately 123,000 working-age residents over the past decade due to outward migration, while the national birthrate continues to fall below replacement levels, he reported.

“We need to advocate for a national policy that promotes immigration,” he urged, pointing to actions the construction industry should take to help contractors meet the regional demand for trained construction workers. “Can the union sector of the construction industry serve as a formal and approved pathway for illegal immigrants to gain legal status?” he posed. 

Mr. Cooney emphasized that without strategic action, these demographic trends could slow economic growth and limit the region’s ability to deliver critical infrastructure projects. Among the ways to swell the ranks of a contracting labor pool for skilled workers are through three areas of recruitment, he posited:  

• Increase efforts to highlight career opportunities in the trades to young people as an alternative to four-year college programs;
• Increase the number of women in the trades with targeted campaigns for skilled and technically trained workers; 
• Highlight the value of regional trade schools that give students and young adults a general exposure to all the construction trades. 

With many industry leaders now focused on expanding recruitment efforts, Mr. Cooney noted the value of identifying workers from “origin occupations” such as service and entry-level roles who have demonstrated the “soft skills” of recognizing responsibility, being dependable and a proven team member. “The eager and the ambitious could then transition into higher-paying construction careers with strong benefits and long-term opportunities,” he suggested.

He said the CIC is also advancing initiatives to strengthen the industry’s public image and advocate for sustained infrastructure investment. A planned public awareness campaign will highlight the professionalism of union tradespeople and contractors, while reinforcing the broader community value of infrastructure spending.

With key federal and state multi-year transportation funding programs approaching renewal, industry leaders are urging policymakers to maintain robust investment levels to support both economic growth and workforce stability in the years ahead.

“Investing in our infrastructure is an investment that betters our communities,” Mr. Cooney said. “At the same time, we must continue to promote careers in the construction trades and expand our workforce, so the Hudson Valley has the skilled professionals needed to build and maintain that future.”