Future Of Work: Report Says Pandemic Workforce Changes May Shift 'Center Of Gravity' In Massachusetts
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday morning that his administration wants to use $2.9 billion from the American Rescue Plan to help rebuild multiple aspects of the local economy and workforce as Massachusetts recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
The "Future Of Work" report outlined eight key findings, including changes to commercial real estate, hybrid work models, public transit, workforce training and childcare.
"Overall the report concludes that the changing ways of working may shift what we think of as the 'center of gravity' here in Massachusetts away from the urban core and toward the rest of the state," Baker said.
Click here to read the report (PDF)
$1 billion would go toward housing and $240 million would be for workforce training. Baker said thousands of workers will have to be retrained after losing their jobs in the pandemic.
Among the reports findings are that "public transit ridership is likely to fall, with the steepest decline likely in commuter rail." Housing will be key to retaining and attracting workers, and the report estimates Massachusetts needs to add between 125,000 and 200,000 new housing units by 2030.
