Massachusetts Q4, 2019 Employment Statistics- 262,144 employers, up 0.7% from 260,277
- 3,662,359 employees, up 1.0% from 3,627,540
- $1,511 average weekly wage, up 3.8% from $1,456
- The average weekly wage is 27.5% above the national average
- The cost of living is 31.6% above the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 1,867, which is an increase of 0.7%. The number of employees in Massachusetts increased by 34,819, an increase of 1.0%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $55, an increase of 3.8%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 1,932 or 0.8%. Growth in private businesses in Massachusetts grew slower than the national average of 2.5%. The number of employees in these businesses increased since last years' Q1, increasing by 34,596 or 1.1%. The growth in employees of private businesses in Massachusetts was slower than the national average of 1.2%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses increased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage increased by $57 or 3.9%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in Massachusetts grew faster than the national average of 3.8%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Healthcare with 24.3% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector declined by 0.5%. Professional services (13.0%), which increased by 1.3% and Retail trade (8.8%), which decreased by 1.3%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
| Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 339 | 6.2% |
| Other services | 922 | 4.2% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 3 | 3.3% |
| Educational services | 130 | 3.3% |
| Real estate and rental | 167 | 2.3% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 21 | 2.3% |
| Arts and entertainment | 79 | 2.1% |
| Transport and warehousing | 80 | 1.9% |
| Construction | 272 | 1.3% |
| Professional services | 445 | 1.3% |
| Waste services | 164 | 1.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 102 | 1.0% |
| Utilities | 1 | 0.3% |
| Company management | 4 | 0.3% |
| Manufacturing | 21 | 0.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 9 | 0.1% |
| Healthcare | -324 | -0.5% |
| Retail trade | -302 | -1.3% |
| Wholesale trade | -201 | -1.4% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Healthcare with 17.5% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 1.4% in the last year. Retail trade (9.8%), decreased by 0.5% and Professional services (9.6%), increased by 5.1%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
| Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 1,105 | 10.7% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 900 | 9.8% |
| Professional services | 17,091 | 5.1% |
| Transport and warehousing | 3,200 | 3.5% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 30 | 3.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 1,294 | 2.7% |
| Construction | 3,122 | 1.9% |
| Other services | 2,058 | 1.7% |
| Healthcare | 8,840 | 1.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,846 | 1.2% |
| Information | 432 | 0.5% |
| Arts and entertainment | 155 | 0.3% |
| Educational services | -163 | -0.1% |
| Finance and insurance | -205 | -0.1% |
| Wholesale trade | -512 | -0.4% |
| Retail trade | -1,978 | -0.5% |
| Waste services | -1,292 | -0.7% |
| Company management | -615 | -0.8% |
| Manufacturing | -2,711 | -1.1% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Finance and insurance paying $3,340per week compared with the state average of $1,530. Weekly wages in this sector rose by $90 or 2.8%. Professional services ($2,888), rose by $167 or 6.1% and Company management ($2,539) increased by $63 or 2.5% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
| Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Mining and oil extraction | $219 | 14.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | $35 | 6.9% |
| Professional services | $167 | 6.1% |
| Retail trade | $32 | 4.5% |
| Educational services | $55 | 4.2% |
| Other services | $32 | 4.1% |
| Waste services | $38 | 3.8% |
| Healthcare | $35 | 3.1% |
| Real estate and rental | $46 | 2.8% |
| Finance and insurance | $90 | 2.8% |
| Transport and warehousing | $29 | 2.8% |
| Wholesale trade | $53 | 2.7% |
| Company management | $63 | 2.5% |
| Construction | $37 | 2.2% |
| Manufacturing | $33 | 2.0% |
| Arts and entertainment | $15 | 1.6% |
| Information | $12 | 0.5% |
| Agriculture and forestry | $5 | 0.5% |
| Utilities | $-153 | -6.2% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In Massachusetts. the industry with the most businesses is Services for the elderly and disabled with 17.5% of the businesses in the state (with 45,963 employing 74,050 workers). The Services for the elderly and disabled industry had 429 fewer businesses, a decline of 0.9% in the last year. Restaurants and other eating places (5.2% of businesses) had 13 fewer businesses, a decline of 0.1% and Computer systems design and related services (3.2% of businesses) added 114 businesses, an increase of 1.4% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Food crops grown under cover | 22 | 183.3% |
| Trusts estates and agency accounts | 16 | 47.1% |
| Iron steel pipe and tube from purchase steel | 2 | 33.3% |
| Printing and writing paper merch. whls. | 5 | 29.4% |
| Toilet preparation manufacturing | 2 | 28.6% |
| Pension funds | 2 | 28.6% |
| Other sound recording industries | 2 | 25.0% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Private households | 709 | 12.1% |
| Research and development in the physical engineering and life sciences | 202 | 9.2% |
| Software publishers | 194 | 14.3% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 114 | 1.4% |
| Landscaping services | 103 | 2.7% |
| Data processing hosting and related services | 102 | 16.2% |
| Management consulting services | 83 | 1.7% |
Employees by Industry
Restaurants and other eating places (5.2% of employees) had 13 fewer employees, a decline of 0.1% and Computer systems design and related services (3.2% ofemployees) added 114 employees, an increase of 1.4% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Food crops grown under cover | 1,426 | 916.3% |
| Other sound recording industries | 12 | 83.8% |
| Political organizations | 185 | 65.5% |
| Other performing arts companies | 156 | 61.9% |
| Pension funds | 6 | 60.0% |
| Natural gas distribution | 1,138 | 56.4% |
| Inland water transportation | 40 | 53.9% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Research and development in the physical engineering and life sciences | 9,835 | 14.5% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 4,744 | 2.8% |
| Services for the elderly and disabled | 4,061 | 5.8% |
| Management consulting services | 3,448 | 8.5% |
| Software publishers | 3,004 | 9.3% |
| Electronic shopping and mail-order houses | 2,364 | 19.3% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 2,169 | 2.6% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
The industry that pays their employees the most is Trusts estates and agency accounts, paying $33,614 compared with the state average of $1,530. Employees in the Trusts estates and agency accounts industry were paid $0 more per week, an increase of 0.0% in the last year. Portfolio management ($8,400) and Spectator sports ($8,095) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Portfolio management ($8,400 per week) were paid $165 more per week, an increase of 2.0% and Spectator sports ($8,095 per week) were paid $452 more per week, an increase of 5.9% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Music publishers | $1,015 | 70.5% |
| Independent artists writers and performers | $2,837 | 70.2% |
| Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy mfg. | $602 | 42.6% |
| Promoters without facilities | $428 | 39.3% |
| Other nondepository credit intermediation | $749 | 32.9% |
| Port and harbor operations | $499 | 31.4% |
| Rolling and drawing of purchased steel | $462 | 30.2% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Independent artists writers and performers | $2,837 | 70.2% |
| Miscellaneous intermediation | $1,118 | 17.2% |
| Music publishers | $1,015 | 70.5% |
| Other nondepository credit intermediation | $749 | 32.9% |
| Mortgage and nonmortgage loan brokers | $678 | 18.6% |
| Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy mfg. | $602 | 42.6% |
| Financial transaction processing and clearing | $514 | 22.8% |
Company Size
Massachusetts Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in Massachusetts by far. 66.6% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 244,752 small businesses in the state represent 95.8% of all private businesses. The national average is 91.2%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) Massachusetts added 7,631 businesses in the last year, an increase of 3.1% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 7,562 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 3.2% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses added 61 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 0.6% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses added 8 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 1.7% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Massachusetts Employees by Business Size
Massachusetts added 113,856 employees in the last year, an increase of 3.8% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 30,269 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 14.1% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses added 27,776 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 2.4% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses added 55,811 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 9.8% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
Massachusetts Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
The smallest companies in Massachusetts (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 10.1% more than the national average ($1,118 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in Massachusetts (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 13.9% workers above the national average ($2,221 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $178 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 4.0% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses added $286 in wages per week in the last year, which is an increase of 5.8% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses added $-42 of weekly wages in the last year, which is an increase of -0.9% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Top Industries for Business and Employment
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of businesses:Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Businesses
| Industry | # Businesses | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Services for the elderly and disabled | 45,963 | -0.9% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 13,691 | -0.1% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 8,504 | 1.4% |
| Private households | 6,545 | 12.1% |
| Residential building construction | 4,898 | 1.4% |
| Management consulting services | 4,839 | 1.7% |
| Offices of lawyers | 4,408 | -1.8% |
| Wholesale trade agents and brokers | 3,975 | -7.9% |
| Landscaping services | 3,966 | 2.7% |
| Hair nail and skin care services | 3,518 | 1.1% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of employees:
Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Employees
| Industry | # Employees | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and other eating places | 240,921 | 0.0% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 170,834 | 2.8% |
| Colleges and universities | 98,477 | -1.3% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 86,666 | 2.6% |
| Research and development in the physical engineering and life sciences | 77,721 | 14.5% |
| Supermarkets and other grocery stores | 77,546 | 0.3% |
| Services for the elderly and disabled | 74,050 | 5.8% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 73,998 | -0.8% |
| Offices of physicians | 58,034 | 0.8% |
| Temporary help services | 56,548 | -2.5% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by highest wages:
Table: Top 10 Industries by Weekly Wage
| Industry | Wkly Wages | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Trusts estates and agency accounts | $33,614 | 0.0% |
| Portfolio management | $8,400 | 2.0% |
| Spectator sports | $8,095 | 5.9% |
| Miscellaneous intermediation | $7,604 | 17.2% |
| Securities brokerage | $7,303 | 2.9% |
| Independent artists writers and performers | $6,880 | 70.2% |
| Other financial vehicles | $6,590 | 0.0% |
| Investment banking and securities dealing | $6,057 | -2.7% |
| Securities and commodity exchanges | $5,054 | 10.3% |
| Open-end investment funds | $4,416 | 0.0% |
Data Sources
About the Writer
