This is the second installment of the MTF Competitiveness Index, which is designed to provide residents, employers, and policymakers with a holistic assessment of how Massachusetts compares to our regional and economic competitor states across 27...

The state’s UI system is still feeling the impact of significant unemployment during the pandemic, which resulted in thousands of additional individuals receiving UI benefits for an extended period. By April 2020, the state’s unemployment had...

The pandemic hugely disrupted the state’s economy and workforce, as unemployment rates jumped from 3.1 percent in February 2020, one of the lowest in state history, to 17.8 percent in April 2020, the highest in over four decades. During the pandemic,...

The Hispanic/Latino population in Massachusetts has experienced significant growth over the pastdecade, which has resulted in more economic production for the state, a more educated and skilledworkforce, and greater levels of household wealth. While...

On January 22nd, the Healey-Driscoll administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget proposal, which included notable spending increases in health care, education, and transportation. The $62.07 billion spending plan is a $4.3 billion (7.4...

As the work of the 194th General Court gets underway, MTF is publishing its 2025 – 2026 Legislative Session Preview. The preview includes 101 primers on the Operating Budget and Capital Investment Plan development processes, as well as seven topic...

As we begin a new year and look towards a new Legislative Session, I am pleased to share the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation’s 2024 Annual Report. This brief report does not capture all that we accomplished over the last year, but we hope it...

Massachusetts is at a critical crossroads, as growth in the behavioral health workforce and the talent pipeline is not keeping pace with the higher demand for services. Healthcare providers struggle to recruit and retain professionals in high-need...

MTF's 2024 Massachusetts Competitiveness Index Report is designed to put forward a framework to assess how Massachusetts stacks up compared to other states, key economic and geographic competitors, and itself.The report looks at 26 different metrics...

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 begins on July 1st, and House and Senate budget negotiators are actively engaging in conversations to craft a compromise budget proposal. The Conference Committee process involves reconciling countless spending, policy, and...