March 26, 2020
Study: Worcester economy among least vulnerable for coronavirus recession
Photo | Grant Welker
MCPHS University in Worcester. The area's education and health workforce is helping to keep it less susceptible to a coronavirus-related recession.
By Grant Welker
The Worcester metropolitan area is most heavily concentrated in jobs in manufacturing, health care and education. Thankfully, during the coronavirus pandemic, it isn't reliant on energy jobs or tourism.
The Worcester area's economic strengths make it among the best suited metro areas for a coronavirus-related recession, according to a study from March 17 by the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit public policy group. Greater Worcester ranks 57th best of 382 areas the group studied.
Most at risk are Midland, Texas, and the Kahului region of the Hawaiian island of Maui. Both of those areas have more than 40% of their work force in what the Brookings Institution calls high-risk industries, which include oil and gas, leisure and hospitality, travel arrangements, transportation, and employment services.
More than 24 million Americans work in those industries, Brookings said.
"The most affected places are a who’s who of energy towns and major resort, leisure, and amusement destinations across the nation," the institute said.
Greater Worcester, which includes Worcester County and Connecticut's Windham County, is on the other end. It has only 13% of its workers in those industries.
A lot of other New England metro areas are in a similar position, including Hartford, which is the 29th best and the third best for larger metro areas. Springfield is 89th best overall and Boston is 97th. The Barnstable area, however, which covers Cape Cod, is far more tourist-dependent, ranking 24th worst. At-risk jobs make up 22% of its workforce.
A second study has also found relatively encouraging numbers for the Worcester area.
The region has the 10th lowest rate of jobs considered at risk of layoffs because they can't be done remotely, according to ApartmentList, which looked at U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Typically higher-paying jobs such as sales representatives, software developers, or management or financial analysis can most easily work from home. Others that are generally lower-paying, like restaurant workers or cleaning services, can't.
The Worcester area has 9.9% of its workforce in jobs at low risk of layoffs, the ApartmentList analysis found, the 10th lowest of the 100 largest metro areas. Jobs considered secure cover 35.8% of jobs, the 45th best rate nationally.
Las Vegas, with a heavy reliance on tourism and hospitality, was worst on the list. San Jose, with a prominent tech workforce, was first.
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