"the national economic crisis has caused real pain"

Reconfirming a strong link between education and economic success, the report notes that Bay State hourly wages and household incomes leapt from near the national average 30 years ago to among the top in the nation today.

Yet those with less education are struggling to find jobs at higher rates than past downturns. People with only high school degrees are unemployed at nearly twice the rate of those with a bachelor's degrees or higher, the report says.

While the report points to Massachusetts' strengths, it also highlights the need for better training for less educated workers to gain middle-level skills, said Robert Tannenwald, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities.

Such skills are important to the state's economy in growing sectors such as niche manufacturing and the medical technician field, he said.

"The high school diploma doesn't cut it anymore, but you don't quite need the college degree either," said Tannenwald, whose organization is affiliated with the report's authors. "You need specialized skill."

You can read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

You can read the full report at its source here


Franklin, MA