The Boston Indicators Project

MassINC, Great Expectations: A Survey of Young Adults in Massachusetts (07/2008, free log in required): Provides a demographic breakdown of those 25-39, distinguishing between "homegrowns", "imports" and "boomerangs." Taxes, housing costs and job opportunities top the concerns of this group.

Northeastern University Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Staying Power: The Future of Manufacturing in Massachusetts (07/2008): Reports that though Massachusetts has experienced dramatic manufacturing job losses, those that remain are technologically sophisticated and competitive, providing work for 300,000 in Massachusetts.

Beacon Hill Institute, Metro Area Competitiveness Report 2007 (05/2008): For the second consecutive year, the Boston metropolitan area ranked second in a measure of interstate economic competitiveness, behind Salt Lake City.

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Massachusetts Advanced Biofuels Task Force, Advanced Biofuels Task Force Report (04/2008): Provides a strategy for Massachusetts to become a leader in Advanced Biofuels, particularly in the area of research and development.

Beacon Hill Institute, Business Taxes in Massachusetts: Toward Fundamental Reform (04/2008): Analyzes the closing of a number of corporate tax loopholes, which would allow for an overall reduction in the corporate tax rate.

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Casino Gaming in Massachusetts: An Economic, Fiscal, & Social Analysis (03/2008): Creation of 3 casinos would result in $2 billion to $2.3 billion in annual revenue, and approximately $400 million annually for state government, as well as creating 17,000 to 21,000 permanent jobs.

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, 2007 Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy (02/2008): This annual analysis of Massachusetts's high-tech economy for the first time compares Massachusetts not only to other US states, but also to high tech regions around the world. While Massachusetts technology economy is strong, it faces new, global competition.

Beacon Hill Institute, State Competitiveness Report 2007 (12/2007): After three years ranking as the most competitive, Massachusetts fell behind Utah for 2007.

MassINC, Mass Jobs: Meeting the Challenges of a Shifting Economy (11/2007--free log in required): Reports that Massachusetts has lagged almost all states in job creation and provides recommendations for state action to reverse this trend.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Is New England Experiencing a Brain Drain? Facts about Demographic Change and Young Professionals (11/2007): The number of young people with at least a Bachelor's Degree is higher in New England than other regions, and the number of young professionals is holding steady, though other regions are gaining such people. International migration helps to sustain the number of young professionals in the region.

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Census (08/2007): Details the size and growth of Massachusetts' clean energy sector.

Neighborhood/City of Boston

Community Labor United, The Hourglass Challenge: Creating a More Equitable Economy for Greater Boston (2007): This report finds that economic inequality is on the rise in Greater Boston, Suggestions for action are made and examples of local grassroots leadership efforts are explored.

Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Regional Lodging Report, Jan-Mar 2007 (04/07): Provides data on the 2006 performance of the Boston hotel market. Hotel rates were up, vacancy was down, and the forecast is for a strong 2007.

Center for an Urban Future, A World of Opportunity (02/07) (pdf): Highlights the importance of new immigrants to the vitality of the New York and Los Angeles economies, with a summary on how the same process is happening in Boston.

Harvard University, The Plan for Harvard in Allston (Draft) (01/07) (pdf): Outlines Harvard's vision for Allston, including a 30-year build out of science, academic, cultural and housing facilities.

Metro Boston/Massachusetts/New England

MassINC, Great Expectations: A Survey of Young Adults in Massachusetts (07/2008, free log in required): Provides a demographic breakdown of those 25-39, distinguishing between "homegrowns", "imports" and "boomerangs." Taxes, housing costs and job opportunities top the concerns of this group.

Beacon Hill Institute, State Competitiveness Report 2007 (12/2007): After three years ranking as the most competitive, Massachusetts fell behind Utah for 2007.

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Census (08/2007): Details the size and growth of Massachusetts' clean energy sector.

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Super Cluster: Ideas, Perspectives and Updates from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Industry (04/2007): Provides economic trends in the Massachusetts life sciences industry, as well potential threats to the future of this industry.

Mass Budget & Policy Center, State of Working Massachusetts 2007: A Growing Economy; A Growing Divide (03/2007): Despite the fact that Massachusetts has begun to recover from the 2001 recession, median wages are still low relative to 2001 and for low-income workers, incomes have fallen.

UNH Carsey Institute, New England Has the Highest Increase in Income Disparity in the Nation (03/07): US Census Bureau data reveals that New England has some of the highest incomes and lowest poverty levels in the US, but income inequality grew faster in New England than other regions from 1989 to 2004.

MassInsight & The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Securing Massachusetts's Leadership Position in Financial Services (03/07): Massachusetts faces new competition for financial services jobs. This report outlines recommendations to keep the state in the forefront of this industry.

Massachusetts Port Authority: Economic Impact Report 2006 (2007): Reports that Massport facilities create a $8.7 billion annual economic impact.

Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, The 2007 State New Economy Index Benchmarking Economic Transformation in the States (02/07): This report uses 26 indicators to describe the opportunities for growth by states in the "new" (knowledge-based) economy. Massachusetts ranks 1st overall, though it lags competitors in on-line users, technology in schools, e-government and other areas.

MassInc, Reconnecting Massachusetts Gateway Cities: Lessons Learned and an Agenda for Renewal (02/07--free log in required): Massachusetts "gateway" cities such as Lawrence, Brockton and Springfield hold a lot of promise for the state's future, but these cities must be fully connected to an effort to bring these cities and their residents into the knowledge economy.

UNH Carsey Institute, The Declining Young Adult Population in New England (01/07) (pdf): Reports that from 1990 to 2004, the New England states have lost population in the 25 to 34 age group.

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, The State of Working Massachusetts 2006: As the Economy Moves Forward, Wages Fall Back (9/06): Reports that employment levels have not recovered to pre-recession numbers and median wages have fallen since 2003.

Pioneer Institute, Building on Pioneer's Agenda for Leadership: 2002-2006, and Beyond (10/06) (pdf): Reports on the implementation of the 2002 Pioneer Institute recommendations for keeping the state competitive, with a special attention to education, the cost of living and doing business, revitalizing "middle" cities, and improving the state's financial solvency.

Pioneer Institute, Measuring Up? The Cost of Doing Business in Massachusetts (pdf) (10/06): Reports that costs of doing business in Massachusetts is higher than four of six competitor states. The high costs are driven primarily by a high cost of living (linked to housing costs) and high land prices.

MassINC, Mass Economy: The Labor Supply and our Economic Future (12/06--free log in required): The Massachusetts labor force has not expanded since 2000, and is linked to both out-migration and lower participation of men in the labor market.

MassInc, The Massachusetts Nonprofit Sector: An Economic Profile (03/05--free log in required): The Massachusetts nonprofit sector employees 13% of the state's employees, and the number of jobs increased from 2001 to 2003, while other sectors had job losses.

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Taking Stock of Progress and Challenges: Massachusetts Life Sciences Supercluster (10/06): While life sciences hold great promise for the future Massachusetts economy, it faces competition from other regions and the area is not capturing the benefits of downstream production.

Beacon Hill Institute, State Competitiveness Report, 2006 (01/06): Finds that Massachusetts ranks 1st overall, based on 8 sub-indexes. Massachusetts faired best on Technology and Human Resources, but performed poorly on Environmental Policy and Infrastructure.

University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, The Marine Science and Technology Industry in New England (05/05): In 2004, 39,000 were employed in New England's marine science cluster, and Massachusetts and New England are well positioned to become global leaders in this growing field, though there is a need for more skilled workers.

National

Brookings Institution, The Implications of Service Offshoring for Metropolitan Economies (02/07) (pdf): Attempts to quantify the potential loss in US Metro jobs to off-shoring. Cities in the West and Northeast are most vulnerable, with Lowell likely to suffer the most of any metro in the country, potentially losing 3% to 4% of its jobs to off-shoring by 2015.