Jobs & the Economy
2017 State of Working Massachusetts
Increases in jobs and in the overall labor force are signs of a strong and growing economy. Unfortunately, job gains are still not translating into strong, broad-based wage growth. Click here to view the full report
Minimum Wage
What's It Worth?: The Value of the Minimum Wage in MassachusettsApril 3, 2012 (updated June 26, 2013)
The Massachusetts minimum wage has failed to keep pace with changes in the cost of living over the past four decades, and it has fallen further and further behind the wage levels of higher-paid workers Read More
The Regional Impact of a Minimum Wage IncreaseJanuary 18, 2013 (updated November 19, 2013)
Some cities and towns have higher concentrations of the labor force employed in low-wage work than others. Raising the minimum wage would tend to have a greater impact in these areas, particularly since workers who receive wage increases are likely to spend a portion of those increases locally. Read More
Online Resources
State of Working Massachusetts 2013
2013 has come to a close, and while our state economy has continued to grow, the poverty rate remains stubbornly high and wages are still lower than they were before the "Great Recession." "The State of Working Massachusetts" presents a snapshot of economic conditions currently facing workers, along with some longer-term trends.
Who is Affected by the Minimum Wage?
Want to know who, exactly, would be affected by an increased minimum wage? MassBudget's interactive tool lets you unpack the numbers—by race, gender, income, education, and more.
All Reports about Jobs and the Economy
Impact of the Increase in the Massachusetts Minimum Wage to $12.75
December 20, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Massachusetts Poverty Rate and Median Income Improved in 2018, but Not by Enough
November 19, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
November 12, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Executive Summary: How Unstable Scheduling Hurts Workers and their Families
November 12, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Wrong on Schedule: How Unstable Scheduling Hurts Massachusetts Workers and their Families
November 12, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
SUMMARY: Credit Where Credit is Due
November 12, 2019 | PDF
November 12, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
September 4, 2019 | PDF
September 3, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Infographics: Labor Day on EITC and CITC
September 2, 2019 | PDF | Factsheet
May 14, 2019 | PDF
It’s About Time: Modernizing the Massachusetts Overtime Law Would Help 435,000 Salaried Workers
May 2, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Testimony on Fair Workweek Legislation Before Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
April 9, 2019 | PDF
Where Do MassBudget's Budget Numbers Come From?
February 10, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Five Things to Look for in the FY 2020 Budget
January 22, 2019 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Impact of the Increase in the Massachusetts Minimum Wage to $12
December 26, 2018 | READ ONLINE
Who Pays? Low and Middle Earners in Massachusetts Pay Larger Share of their Incomes in Taxes
October 25, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Massachusetts Poverty Rate Flat, Median Income Growth Slowed in 2017
October 2, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Analyzing the State Budget for FY 2019
September 6, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Keeping Massachusetts Working for Workers: Policy Gains in 2018 and Possibilities Beyond
August 31, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
WHY THE COUNT COUNTS: Major Sources of Federal Funding for Massachusetts Affected by Census Counts
July 31, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Highlights of the Legislature's FY 2019 Budget
July 26, 2018 | READ ONLINE | Budget Monitor
FAQ: The Massachusetts $15 Minimum Wage Proposal
June 26, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Budget Monitor Conference Preview: Differences Between the Senate and House Budgets for FY 2019
June 6, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Tending to the Nest Egg: Plan Could Help Nonprofit Workers Build Retirement Security
May 17, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
A Credit to Health: The Health Effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit
May 3, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Time to Care: The Health Effects of Paid Family & Medical Leave
April 19, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
What Has Happened in Other States with High Tax Rates on Million-Dollar Incomes?
April 12, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Frequently Asked Questions Related to the $15 Minimum Wage
January 24, 2018 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Teens, Employment, and the Minimum Wage
December 26, 2017 | READ ONLINE | PDF
State and Local Impact of Raising the Minimum Wage to $15 in Massachusetts
September 18, 2017 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
MA Poverty Down, Incomes Up Substantially in 2016
September 14, 2017 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
How Paid Family and Medical Leave Impacts Working Mothers
September 13, 2017 | READ ONLINE | PDF
State of Working Massachusetts 2017
September 4, 2017 | READ ONLINE | PDF
June 13, 2017 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
The Minimum Wage in Massachusetts: Challenges & Opportunities
January 24, 2017 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
U.S. and MA Households Make Meaningful Gains in 2015
September 15, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF
2016 State of Working Massachusetts
September 5, 2016 | READ ONLINE
Investing in People: Workforce Training in the Massachusetts State Budget
August 10, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF
August 10, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF
July 12, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF
The Effects of Skewed Growth on Household Incomes
June 16, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Paid Family and Medical Leave: Lessons from Other States
May 26, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Paid Family & Medical Leave and Related Policies Explained
May 5, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Building a Strong Economy: The Roles of Education, Transportation, and Tax Policy
January 15, 2016 | READ ONLINE | PDF
The Effects of a $10 Minimum Wage in 2016
December 23, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Race to Equity: The State of Black Massachusetts
December 11, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
FAQ: Paid Family & Medical Leave
October 26, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
A $15 Minimum Wage – Effects and Historical Context
October 9, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Large gains in health coverage, some growth in incomes, big challenges remain
September 18, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Licenses for Immigrant Drivers in Massachusetts
September 15, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Labor Day 2015: Important Gains, Many Challenges for MA Workers
September 3, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF
State of Working Massachusetts 2014
June 4, 2015 | READ ONLINE
Building an Economy that Works for Everyone: Implications of Privatization and the Pacheco Law
May 11, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Economic Opportunity & Child Poverty in MA
February 25, 2015 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
From Poverty to Opportunity: The Challenge of Building a Great Society
November 10, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Earned Paid Sick Time: Supporting Healthy, Thriving Communities
October 16, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
U.S. & MA Households See Few Gains during Recovery, New Census Data Show
September 18, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Balancing Work and Family: The Economic Effects of Earned Paid Sick Time
September 15, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Labor Day 2014: Minimum Wage to Rise but Challenges Remain
August 13, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Earned Paid Sick Time – Frequently Asked Questions
July 31, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
The Regional Impact of an $11/Hour Minimum Wage
June 23, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Rewarding Work: The Data on an $11 Minimum Wage
June 19, 2014 | READ ONLINE | Factsheet
Investing in People: Jobs and Workforce Training in the Massachusetts State Budget
June 11, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Budget Brief
The Steep Decline in the Employer Share of Tipped Workers' Wages
June 9, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Value of Minimum Wage Is Eroded Quickly by Inflation
May 12, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Rewarding Work: The Minimum Wage and Tax Credits
March 20, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Job Growth Unrelated to States' Tipped Minimum Wage
February 11, 2014 | READ ONLINE | PDF
State of Working Massachusetts 2013
December 19, 2013 | READ ONLINE
The Regional Impact of a Minimum Wage Increase
November 19, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
The Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
November 18, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
New Census Data on Income, Poverty, Health, and Child Well-Being
September 19, 2013 | READ ONLINE | KIDS COUNT
Egerman and Berger: Education is the path to prosperity [Op-Ed]
September 8, 2013 | READ ONLINE
In 5 Charts: The State of Working Massachusetts on Labor Day
August 29, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF
The Minimum Wage: Frequently Asked Questions
June 27, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
What's It Worth?: The Value of the Minimum Wage in Massachusetts
June 26, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
The Declining Value of the Tipped Minimum Wage in Massachusetts
June 10, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Cuts to Youth Empowerment Programs in the HWM Budget
April 22, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Youth Employment in the Governor's FY 2014 Budget
April 4, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Public Higher Education in Massachusetts and the Governor's FY 2014 Budget
March 29, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Nurturing Kids, Supporting Families: Early Education & Care in the Massachusetts State Budget
March 7, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
Tax cuts that continue to haunt Mass.
February 12, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Op-Ed
Who is Affected by the Minimum Wage?
January 18, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
The State of Working Massachusetts 2012
January 1, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF
In 7 Charts: Today's State of Working Massachusetts
January 1, 2013 | READ ONLINE | PDF
The Massachusetts Minimum Wage: Past, Present and Future
December 10, 2012 | PDF
Youth and Work: in Massachusetts and Across the Nation
December 3, 2012 | READ ONLINE | Kids Count
Median Household Income Dropped in Massachusetts and the U.S. in 2011
September 20, 2012 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
2011 Poverty Rate Remained Level in Massachusetts While Rising Nationwide
September 20, 2012 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Child Poverty in Massachusetts Unchanged, Most Children Have Health Insurance
September 20, 2012 | READ ONLINE | PDF | KIDS COUNT
State of Working Massachusetts - Labor Day 2012
August 31, 2012 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Wages and Inequality in Massachusetts: a Labor Day Report
August 31, 2012 | READ ONLINE | PDF
The Minimum Wage and Job Creation
August 15, 2012 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
The State of Working Massachusetts 2011
January 1, 2012 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Median Household Income Dropped in Massachusetts and the U.S. in 2010
December 22, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
2010 Poverty Rate Increases in Both Massachusetts and Across the Country
September 22, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
September 13, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Jobs and the Massachusetts Economy, Labor Day 2011
September 2, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Impact of Proposed Federal Budget Cuts on Massachusetts' Residents
March 9, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
Workforce Characteristics and Wages in the Public and Private Sectors
March 7, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF
Demystifying the State Pension System
March 7, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF
January 23, 2011 | READ ONLINE | PDF
The State of Working Massachusetts 2010
January 2, 2011 | PDF
Extending Improvements to Tax Credits for Lower-Income Workers and Their Families
December 2, 2010 | READ ONLINE | PDF | Factsheet
No Significant Rise in Poverty in MA in 2009
September 28, 2010 | PDF | Factsheet
No Significant Change in Massachusetts Median Household Income in 2009
September 28, 2010 | PDF | Factsheet
Poverty Rises Nationally in 2009, New Census Bureau Data Show
September 16, 2010 | PDF | Factsheet
Jobs and the Massachusetts Economy on Labor Day 2010
September 5, 2010 | PDF | Factsheet
Universal Voluntary Retirement Accounts: Expanding Employee Savings Opportunities
July 27, 2010 | READ ONLINE | PDF
January 12, 2010 | PDF
MassBudget Brief: Economic Development Tax Expenditures
December 2, 2009 | PDF | Budget Brief
Census data show no rise in poverty rate for Massachusetts in 2008
September 29, 2009 | PDF | Factsheet
Median Household Income Flat in Mass. between 2007 and 2008
September 22, 2009 | PDF | Factsheet
The State of Working Massachusetts: Labor Day 2009
September 6, 2009 | PDF
The State of Working Massachusetts 2008: Entering a Recession After a Recovery That Missed Many
January 1, 2009 | PDF
Income remains stagnant in Massachusetts
August 26, 2008 | PDF | Factsheet
Census Bureau Shows No Change in Poverty Rate in Massachusetts
August 26, 2008 | PDF | Factsheet
Following Through on Welfare Reform: How Savings Could Support Lower-Income Working Families
April 1, 2008 | PDF
State of Working Massachusetts 2007 A Growing Economy; A Growing Divide
September 2, 2007 | PDF
Census Data Show Little Progress on Poverty and Incomes
August 28, 2007
June 8, 2007 | PDF
State of Working Massachusetts 2006: As the Economy Moves Forward, Wages Fall Back
September 3, 2006 | PDF
Four Years into Recovery, Still No Improvement in Poverty in Massachusetts
August 29, 2006 | PDF | Factsheet
Four Years into Recovery, Incomes Stagnant in Massachusetts
August 29, 2006 | PDF | Factsheet
Income Inequality and the Minimum Wage
June 16, 2006 | PDF | Factsheet
Comparing the Minimum Wage Proposals
June 15, 2006 | PDF | Factsheet
The Minimum Wage and Tipped Employees
May 5, 2006 | PDF | Factsheet
March 20, 2006 | PDF
New Directions in Closing Income Gap
February 16, 2006
The Growing Gap: Income Inequality in Massachusetts
January 26, 2006 | PDF
Choose or Lose: A Review of Proposals to Reform Massachusetts' Welfare Program
September 8, 2005 | PDF
August 30, 2005 | PDF
Inflation Indexing and the Massachusetts Minimum Wage
August 16, 2005 | PDF | Factsheet
Who Benefits from a Capital Gains Tax Cut?
June 10, 2005 | PDF
January 30, 2005 | PDF
December 7, 2004 | PDF
Keeping It Real: The Effects of Increasing and Indexing the Massachusetts Minimum Wage
November 26, 2004 | PDF
What is the Massachusetts Minimum Wage Really Worth?
November 26, 2004 | PDF | Factsheet
Who Would Gain from an Increase in the Massachusetts Minimum Wage?
November 26, 2004 | PDF | Factsheet
The Effects of Prior Minimum Wage Increases on Wages, Poverty, and Employment
November 26, 2004 | PDF | Factsheet
The State of Working Massachusetts 2004: Down But Not Out
September 5, 2004 | PDF
Tax Expenditures and Economic Development
April 27, 2004 | PDF
March 23, 2004
Cuts That Hurt: An Examination of Painful Cuts in the FY2004 State Budget
January 27, 2004 | PDF
September 26, 2003
Three Years of Spending Cuts and Their Effects on Low- and Moderate-Income People
August 29, 2003 | PDF
The State of Working Massachusetts 2002 As Good as it Gets?-- Press Release
September 2, 2002 | PDF
The State of Working Massachusetts 2002: As Good as it Gets?
September 1, 2002 | PDF
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