March 7, 2008
MetroWest, Greater Marlborough Can't Rest On Job Growth Laurels
The employment picture in MetroWest is better than in Massachusetts as a whole, but the area still faces many of the same challenges as the rest of the state.
That was the message presented to business leaders in Framingham this morning by Maureen Dunne of the Framingham State College MetroWest Economic Research Center at an event presented by the MetroWest and Marlborough Regional Chambers of Commerce.
From 2001 to 2006, the two areas together saw almost no change in employment numbers, while the state's numbers dropped 2.4 percent and the nation's rose 3.2 percent.
The types of jobs that are growing and shrinking presented some cause for concern, Dunne said. The two sectors with the highest paid jobs, information and manufacturing, saw job losses between 2001 and 2005, while the most growth came in somewhat lower paid sectors including professional business services and health and education.
Dunne said businesses are also getting smaller. The two regions saw a net gain of about 500 establishments between 2001 and 2005, but many of those that disappeared were manufacturers with relatively high numbers of employees. While the average business has 17 employees, Dunne said, the average manufacturer has 62.
The breakfast meeting also included a presentation by John Schneider, executive vice president of MassINC, about the state of the Massachusetts workforce and a talk by Verizon Human Resources Director Denice C. Ware about the importance of partnerships between corporations and schools to prepare workers to jump into new jobs.
That was the message presented to business leaders in Framingham this morning by Maureen Dunne of the Framingham State College MetroWest Economic Research Center at an event presented by the MetroWest and Marlborough Regional Chambers of Commerce.
From 2001 to 2006, the two areas together saw almost no change in employment numbers, while the state's numbers dropped 2.4 percent and the nation's rose 3.2 percent.
The types of jobs that are growing and shrinking presented some cause for concern, Dunne said. The two sectors with the highest paid jobs, information and manufacturing, saw job losses between 2001 and 2005, while the most growth came in somewhat lower paid sectors including professional business services and health and education.
Dunne said businesses are also getting smaller. The two regions saw a net gain of about 500 establishments between 2001 and 2005, but many of those that disappeared were manufacturers with relatively high numbers of employees. While the average business has 17 employees, Dunne said, the average manufacturer has 62.
The breakfast meeting also included a presentation by John Schneider, executive vice president of MassINC, about the state of the Massachusetts workforce and a talk by Verizon Human Resources Director Denice C. Ware about the importance of partnerships between corporations and schools to prepare workers to jump into new jobs.
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