Research Publications

This presentation looks at trends over the past 15 years in Boston business establishments and payroll employment. The analysis looks at trends in business services, education, health care and social assistance, consumer services, and production and transportation industries.

In fiscal year 2017, Boston continued its unparalleled 23-year record with more NIH funding than any other U.S. city. This report delves into funding provided by the National Institutes of Health for the fiscal year 2017, with a concentration on grant recipients in Boston. It also cites specific advancements in science and medicine that were made possible by the NIH awards to Boston research institutes, hospitals, universities, and private companies.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes the official national monthly unemployment rate, as well official rates at the state, county, and city level through the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. The BLS does not publish unemployment data at the neighborhood level or any other geography below the citywide level. This report explains attempts to estimate neighborhood-level unemployment rates.

The BPDA Research Division's annual economy report describes conditions and trends in Boston's economy, focusing on economic growth, employment and wages, and the real estate market. This 2017 report includes a spotlight on Boston's economic environment in comparison to a set of 25 peer cities.

In 2005, the Boston Planning and Development Agency (then known as the BRA), in collaboration with Create Boston, released a report titled “Boston’s Creative Economy” assessing the size, scope, and economic impact of creative industries in the city. This follow-up revisits the report, asking how the size and composition of employment in Boston’s Creative Economy has changed over the last decade. The original report can be accessed here.

Fiscal Year 2016 marked the 22nd consecutive year that Boston received the most NIH funding of any U.S. city. Forty-two Boston institutions received 3,592 NIH awards for more than $1.85 billion in funding. This total represents 7.5% of all NIH spending and 72% of all NIH funding in Massachusetts. Eight Boston organizations received over $100 million in NIH funding, reinforcing Boston as a powerhouse in medical research.

Commuting patterns reflect interactions within the regional economy. Workers who reside in one town may work in a neighboring town. Jobs in a given town may be filled by a combination of resident workers and commuters. This report examines residential and employment patterns in the greater Boston area and within Boston neighborhoods.

Annual report on Boston's economy with special focus on the resident labor force.

This report uses 2013 Zip Code Business Patterns data from the U.S. Census to examine Boston's business trends. For a more detailed analysis of business patterns in individual neighborhoods, please see the addendum to this report "Neighborhood Business Patterns 2016."

This report will provide insight into Boston's business establishments and employment by neighborhood. The main data source for this report is the 2013 ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZCBP), published by the U.S. Census Bureau. For citywide business trends, please see "Boston Business Patterns 2016."