Economic Opportunity

A new analysis from ADP Research (reported in the Wall Street Journal) delivers a clear warning for Massachusetts: the Boston–Cambridge–Newton metropolitan area now ranks 48th out of 55 major U.S. metro areas in attracting young workers. The study tracks more than 400,000 workers in their 20s and evaluates metro areas on a simple but decisive set of factors—job availability, affordability, and access to degree-requiring work. On those measures, Boston lands near the bottom. High wages are no longer enough to offset the region’s high cost structure and weaker hiring momentum.

The Commonwealth had the nation’s lowest net business formation rate from 2020 to 2024, losing more than 17,000 employer businesses over nine consecutive quarters 

April 15th is more than a filing deadline – it’s a moment to reflect on how tax policy shapes the economic trajectory of Massachusetts. As residents finalize their returns, a broader question looms: are current tax policies helping the state grow, or quietly pushing people and capital...

Data show the requirements increase rents, reduce housing development 

New Pioneer brief finds Massachusetts has reported just 20 AI use cases, only three of them directly serving constituents. 

Analysis compares decade-long changes in tax rates, private sector employment, and revenue growth in two competing state economies

When economists assess a state’s economic health, private sector employment is one of the clearest signals of momentum. It’s a lagging economic indicator that corresponds to increases in business creation, wage growth, and consumer activity, so when private sector employment is growing robustly, it bodes well for a state’s overall economic outlook and health.  In recent years, Florida has stood out as one of the...

Net AGI Loss to Florida and New Hampshire Quintuples in a Decade as 26-35-Year-Old Outmigration Continues Newly released 2023 IRS migration data – the first full year after the 4 percent surtax on incomes over $1 million took effect – show Massachusetts losing more than double the amount of adjusted gross income...

This month’s edition of The House Call discusses results from a state survey of municipalities on accessory dwelling unit permitting activity. It also describes the debate over whether building codes should be reformed to allow some apartment buildings to contain only one staircase.

On Friday, Governor Healey opposed a proposed cut in the personal income tax that would put an average of $1,300 back into people’s pockets. Her claim that it would devastate the budget and gut education is a wild distortion—and it ignores more...