New York and New Jersey airports remain among the region’s strongest economic engines, but the workforce landscape is changing in ways that demand a new approach.
At the Council for Airport Opportunity (CAO), we work with thousands of job seekers and hundreds of airport employers every year across JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty Airports. From our vantage point, one thing is clear: while hiring continues, the challenge is no longer simply filling jobs—it’s building a workforce that is prepared, reliable, and ready for long-term careers.
We are seeing employers place greater emphasis on dependability, customer service, security clearances, and workplace professionalism. Technical skills can often be taught, but employers increasingly value candidates who arrive ready to succeed on day one.
We are also seeing stronger competition for talent. As wages and benefits improve for many frontline airport workers, employers are competing not only with one another but also with industries such as healthcare, logistics, hospitality, and warehousing. To attract and retain workers, employers must offer more than a paycheck—they must provide career pathways.
At the same time, airport operations continue to evolve. Infrastructure investments, terminal modernization, technology adoption, and ongoing operational challenges have changed hiring patterns across the aviation ecosystem. While some sectors are expanding rapidly, others are adjusting to changing travel demand and staffing realities, making workforce flexibility more important than ever.
These trends reinforce an important lesson: workforce development cannot be reactive. It must be intentional. Strong partnerships between employers, workforce organizations, educational institutions, labor, and government are essential to preparing local residents for the jobs being created today—and the careers that will emerge tomorrow.
For more than five decades, CAO has connected underserved communities with careers at the region’s airports. We know that when employers invest in local talent and workforce organizations invest in preparing that talent, everyone benefits. Businesses gain qualified employees, job seekers gain family-sustaining careers, and our airports become stronger and more competitive.
The future of New York’s airports depends not only on modern terminals and expanded infrastructure but on the people who keep them running every day. Investing in that workforce is one investment that will always deliver a strong return.
