Briefing

Coming to Terms with Massachusetts’ Post-Pandemic Employment Growth


Abstract: During the long economic expansion of the 2010s, employment growth in Massachusetts ran well above historic rates, ahead of the rest of New England, and on par with the national rate. Much of the job growth was in highly productive, high-paying sectors. The expansion ended with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, and the Massachusetts economy that has emerged in the aftermath of the crisis looks different from the state’s pre-pandemic economy. In particular, job growth trails the rest of the region and the nation. Changes in the handful of sectors that were largely responsible for the strong growth in the preceding decade have driven this shift in fortunes.

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Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Part of Series: New England Public Policy Center Regional Brief

Publication Date: 2026-09-24

Number: 26-2