Research Publications

Boston's Economy 2023 covers trends in employment, wages, housing prices, and real estate.

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.

Boston's economy has grown steadily since the end of the Great Recession in mid-2009, outperforming both Massachusetts and the nation with annual job growth of 2.0 percent between 2010 and 2014. This report describes Boston's economy in terms of jobs, unemployment, wages, key industries, and real estate.

This presentation provides statistics showing historical trends that shaped the economy of Boston. Presentation sections include A Growing Economy, Strong Core Industries, A Vibrant Labor Market (Jobs in Boston), A Productive Resident Labor Force, and A Booming Real Estate Market.

This PowerPoint presentation includes highlights from the BRA Research Division's 2014 Hotels in Boston report.

This report provides information on Boston's hotel industry, growth, and overall economic impact. It details occupancy rates, hotel distribution by neighborhood, and more.

This Power Point presentation provides an overview of Boston's economy. It includes data on employment, key industries, wages, unemployment and employment forecasts.

Boston by the Numbers is a series created by the Research Division that highlights the characteristics of Boston’s population and economy. This report details the history and current state of Boston’s housing stock.

This report discusses current demographic and economic trends in the city of Boston. In terms of demographics, this report shows that over the last decade Boston’s population has grown, became more racially and ethnically diverse, increased its share of young adults, and became more educated. As for the economy, Boston appears to have successfully weathered the storm of the most recent recession. The city has experienced strong job growth over the last year, decreased unemployment, and recent building permit data indicates a very active local real estate and construction market. Lastly, industry employment projections for the region suggest that Boston’s economy is poised to continue growing in the coming years.

Alvaro Lima, the BRA’s Director of Research, was invited to speak at the International Economic Development Council's (IEDC) 2012 Leadership Summit in San Antonio, TX. IEDC is the world's largest membership organization serving the economic development profession. At the Summit he presented the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Calculator for assessing the economic, environmental, and social impact of strategic capital investments in municipalities on a panel called Success Metrics: Economic, Social and Ecological.