Editorial

Plugging the drain
Work force development key to state economy
December 20, 2006

Two recent reports have sounded alarms about Massachusetts’ declining numbers of workers and the economic challenges arising when the most talented take their skills elsewhere.

A modest but steady four-year decline in the work force has raised fears of a brain drain that could dull the Bay State’s long-cherished technology edge.

The problem is equally one of brain freeze. The reports highlight the plight of workers ages 35 to 54, many of whom have a pressing need for retraining to qualify for jobs in today’s economy, and high school dropouts ages 16 to 24, who must obtain additional vocational education and technical training if they are to move beyond the limited prospects of low-wage employment.

Between 2002 and 2005, according to a report from the think tank MassINC, Massachusetts lost about 59,000 workers — 1.7 percent — while competitor states in key technology sectors saw labor force growth rates of 3 percent to 10 percent. Among the most ominous findings was the departure of thousands of young, well-educated workers, driven elsewhere by high housing and energy costs.

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative echoes those findings with a report this week showing losses in key job sectors that undergird the state economy, including computers, communications, industrial support, financial services and health care. Ironically, the losses come at a time when the state has some 75,000 available jobs, many requiring specialized skills.

Finding and training workers to fill those jobs will require government and industry to pursue a two-track strategy:

• First, business-friendly must replace bureaucracy. Massachusetts remains an attractive state in which to live and work, but companies today demand a “one-stop shopping” approach to regulation. A maze of rules and delays is sure to drive all but the most patient into the welcoming arms of Virginia, Florida and Texas.

• Second, in light of the fierce global competition for well-educated workers, efforts to retain everyone could be counterproductive. Instead, government and industry must focus on those sectors of the economy vital to providing Massachusetts with its comparative advantages.

That means internships to help college students and recent graduates build relationships with Massachusetts companies and put down roots; more English as a Second Language programs to accommodate immigrants who are a key source of new workers; and investments in educational and vocational programs to help would-be workers get back into the game.

The alternative, a state economy down the drain, is unacceptable.