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Competitiveness

We want states to win in the competition for talent and investment.

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Massachusetts and other high-cost states face a growing challenge: people and businesses are leaving for more affordable, competitive environments. The loss of young professionals and high earners threatens long-term economic strength and innovation. Talent is mobile—and Massachusetts is especially challenged in retaining 26- to 34-year-olds and industries that can, in an age of remote work, relocate with ease.  

Pioneer works to make Massachusetts—and every state—more competitive by advancing smarter tax policy, regulatory reform, and lower living costs. This focus on competitiveness complements our work on housing, healthcare costs, workforce development, and vocational education. Our goal is simple: to create places where talent and capital want to stay, invest, and grow.

Latest Publications

Opportunity
May 27, 2026

Pioneer Institute Applauds Healey Administration’s Proposal to Reduce LLC Filing Fees; More Reforms Needed to Address Economic Malaise

Pioneer Institute applauds the Healey Administration’s proposal to reduce the LLC filing fee from $500 to $100 and discount annual LLC fees during the early years of a new business. These changes remove two unnecessary barriers facing entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to launch and grow in Massachusetts. We believe that it is crucial that state leaders build on these proposals to address the Commonwealth’s economic malaise, which started with the pandemic.
Opportunity
May 20, 2026

Pioneer Institute Study Calls for Attrition Strategy to Rein in Record-High Massachusetts State Workforce

BOSTON – The size of the state workforce reached an all-time high in 2025, and a new Pioneer Institute study recommends implementing an attrition program that would reduce the number of positions under the governor’s authority by 5,000 and save taxpayers $1.5 billion over five years by backfilling three of every four positions that are vacated.
Opportunity
May 5, 2026

Boston is 48th out of 55 Metro Areas in the Competition for Young Workers

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.
Opportunity
April 29, 2026

New Study Finds Massachusetts Business Formation Has Plummeted Despite National Surge

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 
Opportunity
April 23, 2026

Massachusetts Economic Development Bill Includes a Key Provision for Streamlining the Review of Housing Development Applications

In Massachusetts, the permitting process for new residential development often slows down housing production and adds unnecessary costs for builders. These costs are then passed onto buyers and tenants, helping to explain why Massachusetts has some of the most expensive housing in the country.  Most residential developments, from single-family…

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Additional Research

Opportunity
April 15, 2026

Tax Day: A Reflection on State Income Taxes and Competitiveness 

Opportunity
April 15, 2026

New Study Calls for Reducing or Eliminating Parking Requirements for New Housing

Opportunity
April 8, 2026

New BLS Employment Data Revisions Reveal Massachusetts’ Anemic Private Sector Employment Growth Since 2020 

Opportunity
April 7, 2026

Massachusetts Has Taken an Important Step on Government AI—But the Commonwealth Must Do More to Improve Services, Transparency, and Save Taxpayer Dollars

Opportunity
April 1, 2026

North Carolina Surges with 449K Jobs as Massachusetts Jobs Fall by 18K

Opportunity
March 30, 2026

Pioneer Institute Supports the Ballot Initiative to Reduce the State Income Tax Rate from 5 to 4 Percent to Spur Jobs and Economic Growth 

Opportunity
March 27, 2026

Massachusetts Faces Tax Policy Choice as New Analysis Finds Prior Rate Reductions Did Not Reduce Long-Term Revenue

Opportunity
March 20, 2026

Florida’s Private Sector Is Booming 

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Meet the Experts

Jim Stergios

Jim Stergios

Executive Director
Mary Connaughton

Mary Connaughton

Chief Operating Officer, Director of Government Transparency

Fact of the day

Dependency Index – Federal Money to the States

Think you know which states depend most on Washington? Pioneer’s new Dependency Index may change your mind. Alaska ranks most dependent on federal funds, and Idaho ranks least. Check out where your state ranks here! https://loom.ly/6LMwO0c

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