The Chamber’s Competitiveness Scorecard, published throughout the year, highlights cost and competitiveness issues facing the Massachusetts economy. Each scorecard measures Massachusetts’ competitiveness on a key issue compared to all 50 states, and introduces a policy proposal designed to enhance the state’s competitive position.
2010:
The first edition of 2010 is focused on the Commonwealth's corporate tax burden and the competitiveness of the state’s business climate, and finds that Massachusetts’ corporate tax burden was the 8th highest in the country in FY 2009. This burden is 39% higher than the national average. The Scorecard also shows that Massachusetts ranked the 4th worst on the Tax Foundation’s corporate tax index in FY 2010. The Scorecard includes significant policy proposals that will make Massachusetts a welcoming place for business and restore long-term competitiveness and prosperity.
Click here to download the Scorecard.
2009:
The second edition of 2009 is focused on the Commonwealth's higher education industry, and shows that Massachusetts’ colleges and universities play a vital role in promoting and sustaining innovation – providing the basis of the ‘innovation engine’ that drives our economy. Massachusetts ranked 1st in the nation per capita for the total number of patents produced by higher education institutions - with a rate nearly twice as high as the next closest state. The Scorecard includes significant policy proposals that will help maintain and strengthen the Massachusetts higher education sector’s position as an innovation leader.
Download the first edition of 2009, which focuses on the Commonwealth's Rainy Day Fund. The Scorecard shows that the Massachusetts Fund, measured at 7.2 percent of the total FY 2008 budget, ranked 13th in the nation before this recession hit the state. History shows that that is not enough to protect the Commonwealth against
future recessions. Based on the data, the Chamber proposes that all annual capital gains revenues beyond the first $300 million will be allocated to the Rainy Day Fund until this key reserve account has met a specified target level. This proposal provides a larger, more robust stream of funds in growth years to capitalize the Fund, while protecting the state budget from severe capital gains drops during economic downturns.
