Research Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic and the race to develop a vaccine spotlight the nation’s growing Life Science industry. Boston's highly educated workforce and world-renowned higher education, research, and medical institutions make it one of the leading Life Science hubs in the world. This report profiles the Life Science workforce in Boston.

This report explores the effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Boston's economy.

The Transportation in Boston report identifies sources for transportation data by mode, and documents major trends in active transportation, public transportation, automobile travel, and freight. It covers ridership and utilization, costs and investments, and future developments. This report serves as a pre-COVID-19 baseline for analysis going forward.

Boston's Economy 2020 report is released during a time of economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of this report, the full economic impacts of the pandemic are not yet known. This report uses economic data from 2018 and 2019 to create a profile of Boston’s economy prior to the current crisis.

This report profiles Boston employment in the industries that saw the largest share and number of unemployment claims statewide March 14-28.

Boston's Economy 2019 report details Boston’s recent economic growth. It covers trends in employment, wages, housing prices, and real estate. This report introduces the BPDA's employment forecast, which explores how the rate of housing production and the area's skilled workforce may impact the pace of local job growth. The Spotlight Section covers Boston’s higher education industry examining enrollment, graduation, and tuition trends. Finally, the Forecast Section describes the outlook for Boston’s economic future, hinting at continued growth. This report was updated on September 10, 2019.

For a presentation version of the Economy Report, click here: Boston's Economy 2019 Presentation

In 2018, Boston continued its unparalleled 24-year record with more funding from the National Institutes of Health than any other city in the United States. This report delves into funding provided by the National Institutes of Health for FY2018, with a focus on grant recipients in Boston. This report also cites advancements in science and medicine among grant recipients, including research institutes, hospitals, universities, and private companies.

An analysis of micro businesses (less than 5 employees) and small businesses (less than 50 employees) in Boston, focusing on industry distribution, employment, and economic impact.

This Report analyzes development trends in five sub-markets (housing, office, hotel, industrial, and institutional) while describing concurrent economic and demographic trends that may influence development. Together, these data depict the recent cycle of real estate development in Boston, from the beginning of Article 80 in 1996 through the development downturn during the 2008-2009 recession to the recent development boom coinciding with the city’s economic recovery.

The 2018 Economy Report details Boston’s impressive economic growth, covering trends in employment, wages, housing prices, and real estate. The Spotlight section takes a deep dive into Boston’s growing tech industry by examining job openings in biotech, green jobs, and cybersecurity. It also analyzes the ‘middle skill’ jobs that make Boston’s growth accessible to residents without higher education. Finally, the Forecast section describes the outlook for Boston’s economic future, hinting at continued growth.

For a presentation version of the Economy Report, click here: Boston's Economy 2018 Presentation