Economic Development
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Downtowns Get a Little Love
Massachusetts is giving its downtowns some Valentine’s Day attention with a new MDI Capital program aimed at funding local planning and streetscape improvements to spark economic vitality and replace last year’s defunded initiative.
February 17, 2026
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The Massachusetts Middle Class Status Report
As MassINC marks its 30th anniversary, the Massachusetts Middle Class Status Report revisits a foundational question: whether households in Massachusetts can achieve economic security, stability, and full participation in civic life. Using a multidimensional economic capacity framework, the report offers a rigorous, data-driven assessment of whether the Commonwealth’s economy is delivering broadly shared prosperity.
January 28, 2026
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Constructing the Future Report Release
MassINC and partners explore the path ahead for Massachusetts’ skilled construction workforce.
June 30, 2025
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Constructing the Future: Strategies to Help Massachusetts Meet Its Clean Energy and Housing Goals
June 17, 2025
- Construction output has declined in recent years. Prompt action to stimulate demand is necessary to sustain this critical workforce and preserve long-term industry capacity.
- Assuming continued economic growth, scaling up the training system to meet workforce needs for housing and clean energy should be an attainable goal.
- Recent progress in racial, ethnic, and gender diversity presents an opportunity to expand the industry’s future labor pool.
- Reducing construction costs while maintaining competitive, family-sustaining wages will require meaningful gains in productivity.
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Gateway Cities Journal | Strengthen our local economies amidst headwinds
The state shouldn’t miss its chance to launch the Downtown Vitality Fund.
May 29, 2025
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Opening the Doors to the Jobs of the Future
Expanding Early College access and strengthening career-connected learning are critical to ensuring Massachusetts maintains a competitive, skilled workforce, and this report outlines four key objectives to guide the state's expansion strategy.
March 3, 2025
- Massachusetts must significantly expand Early College programs to reach more low-income students, as current enrollment remains too limited to make a substantial impact. The state should prioritize high-potential high schools and utilize hybrid or online learning models to ensure accessibility, particularly for students in rural areas.
- Current Early College programs lack structured connections to high-demand industries like health and STEM. A more robust program should integrate specialized advising, career development experiences, and credit accumulation targets, while also aligning Early College with Innovation and Career Pathway (ICP) programs.
- Expanding Early College to middle-income students can create more diverse learning environments, strengthen urban schools, and support high school redesign in smaller districts. Targeted strategies include regional partnerships, urban magnet schools, and enrollment goals that promote integration in Boston and the Gateway Cities.
- Sustainable Early College expansion will require clear governance structures, accountability measures, and administrative capacity. Some necessary policy changes will need to be addressed through board decisions, legislation, and budget appropriations.
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The Massachusetts School Centered Neighborhood Development Playbook
Neighborhood vitality and public school performance are closely linked, yet education improvement efforts are generally siloed from planning, housing, and community development.
October 9, 2024
- Growing education reform movements and an influx of housing resources provide a window to embrace coordinated planning efforts at the neighborhood level
- The funding of backbone organizations and the implementation of the Community School model are both effective ways to work across silos and create mixed-income neighborhoods and schools
