Search Results
Briefing
Immigrants as a potential source of growth for New England’s highly skilled workforce
In recent decades, growth in New England?s college-educated workforce has lagged behind that in the nation as a whole. Attraction and retention of college graduates, especially those trained in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields is a policy priority. This brief analyzes the region?s attraction and retention of foreign-born college graduates, examining two groups of immigrants: those arriving in the United States between the ages of 16 and 20, and those arriving in the United States between the ages of 21 and 29. The author finds that the foreign-born make up a ...
Briefing
Nurse-to-patient ratios
This brief is based on information presented at the 25th Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, held on March 30, 2005 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
Briefing
Ensuring adequate electrical capacity in New England
A settlement accepted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 15, 2006, may finally resolve years of disagreement over how to increase New England?s electrical capacity. The final settlement was signed by 107 of the 115 parties negotiating for four months to create a forward capacity market for electricity in the region. Despite such strong support, however, several important parties oppose the plan, and its economic impact on the region is not yet clear.
Briefing
Revenue forecasting processes in New England
State governments creating their budgets are concerned about available revenues. The basis of a successful budget is a sound revenue forecast. How states arrive at this forecast is both a science and an art and the approach differs markedly among states. This policy brief responds to the dearth of readily accessible information about states? revenue forecasting processes by describing, comparing, and contrasting the revenue forecasting processes of the New England states.
Briefing
Hollywood east?: film tax credits in New England
Five of the six New England states now provide tax credits or other financial incentives to attract producers to film on location. This policy brief discusses whether these incentives attract more production, and whether they are cost-effective in creating jobs. It focuses on the use of one major incentive: film tax credits.
Briefing
Crowded out of the housing market: declining affordability and availability are squeezing New England's very low-income households
Though many New Englanders find it difficult to buy and maintain a home or pay monthly rent, the problem is particularly acute for the region's very low-income households. While many reports about housing affordability focus on the growing affordability challenges faced by middle-income households, they often overlook a crucial problem in the region: very low-income households--those in the bottom fifth of the income distribution are squeezed by declining affordability and limited availability.
Briefing
Who are the uninsured, and why are they uninsured?
Since 2000, the number of uninsured Americans, both nationally and in New England, has risen by nearly 20 percent. In 2005, 46.6 million Americans and 1.5 million New Englanders lacked health insurance. For millions more Americans, the prospect of losing coverage is a tangible and real concern.
Briefing
Reforming municipal aid in Massachusetts: the case for a gap-based formula
This policy brief evaluates the distribution of municipal aid in Massachusetts in FY 2011 and suggests an approach for reforming municipal aid without redistributing current aid. We use the ?municipal gap,? a measure that is outside the control of local officials, to determine a community?s need for municipal aid. To show the general pattern of municipal gaps across the state, we compare five prototype communities -- large cities, job-center suburbs, higher-income residential suburbs, rural towns, and resort towns. The analysis shows that the distribution of FY 2011 municipal aid does not ...
Briefing
The middle-skills gap: ensuring an adequate supply of skilled labor in northern and southern New England
Recent evidence suggests that a mismatch between the skills demanded by employers and the skills supplied by the population may be underway, particularly for ?middle-skill? workers who possess some college education or an associate?s degree. This policy brief examines the middle-skill mismatch in New England, comparing recent labor market trends and future projections for the northern versus southern subregions. The analysis finds that the nature of the mismatch varies within the region, indicating that policymakers should tailor their potential responses as opposed to taking a uniform ...
Briefing
Retaining recent college graduates in New England: an update on current trends
This policy brief presents some basic facts about the retention of recent college graduates and changes in retention over time. It considers how New England compares with other divisions, what factors affect its ability to retain graduates, and the reasons why recent college graduates choose to leave New England. It also highlights a Boston-area initiative to promote internships as a retention tool.