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GREATER BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Massachusetts Jobs & Policy Update |
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Welcome to the December 2009 Massachusetts Jobs & Policy Update from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber publishes this monthly update to provide public officials with insight into state and regional job trends, as well as a snapshot of policy issues that are critical to the region's business community.
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IN THIS ISSUE |
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Public Policy Issues
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Jobs
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PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES |
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Unemployment Insurance: Rate Relief & Reform Legislation Needed in Early 2010 |
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Under current law, Massachusetts employers will face a 42% increase in the first quarter of 2010 in unemployment insurance (UI) tax rates unless corrective legislation is passed. That increase would raise UI costs by an average of $250 per worker. Massachusetts UI costs are already among the highest in the nation. Enactment of legislation in early 2010 that implements a less dramatic increase in UI tax rates, while reforming the UI system’s
experience rating and workforce attachment provisions, would help 1) mitigate an obstacle to new hiring, 2) ensure a more equitable UI system, and 3) contribute to the long-term solvency of the trust fund.
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Education Reform: Strong Legislation Needed to Secure “Race to the Top” Funding |
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The Senate education bill passed earlier this month would increase the cap on charter schools in the lowest performing districts, establish Innovation Schools with increased flexibility and autonomy, and create new methods for turning around underperforming schools. The Chamber supports these reforms and urges the House to include them in its education legislation. In addition, we urge legislators to provide superintendents with the ability to
turn around level 4 schools without requiring binding arbitration, and include the Education Committee bill language regarding the establishment of Horace Mann charter schools. Enactment of a strong education bill in early January will enable Massachusetts to compete for, and win, Race to the Top funding. |
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For more information on the Chamber's policy agenda, contact Jim Klocke, executive vice president; Tim Sweeney, director of public policy; or Sarah Lanning, assistant director of economic development. |
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JOBS |
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Massachusetts Jobs Update: November 2009 |
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State lost 1,700 jobs last month; posted 2.5% job loss last 12 months, moderately better than US annual job loss rate of 3.5%
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State unemployment rate dropped to 8.8%, 2nd consecutive month of rate decline and substantially lower than US rate (10.0%)
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Seven of 12 regions added jobs last month; all 12 regions shed jobs year-over-year
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Education, Health Services, and Professional & Business Services led job gains last month
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Regional Jobs Breakdown |
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Metropolitan Region |
Total
Jobs |
Change Since November 2008
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MASSACHUSETTS |
3,173,600 |
-2.5% |
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Barnstable |
94,200 |
-5.4% |
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Boston-Cambridge-Quincy |
1,667,400 |
-2.1% |
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Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton |
85,000 |
-3.3% |
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Framingham |
156,300 |
-1.8% |
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Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury |
74,400 |
-3.5% |
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Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner |
48,400 |
-3.4% |
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Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford |
114,300 |
-3.1% |
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New Bedford |
63,800 |
-2.4% |
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Peabody |
96,400 |
-3.2% |
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Pittsfield |
34,800 |
-4.1% |
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Springfield |
285,600 |
-3.1% |
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Worcester |
243,000 |
-1.2% |
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