An Act requiring an annual report on the labor market needs of the Commonwealth

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Barry Finegold

Requires an annual public Labor Market Report for Massachusetts to map five-year needs and guide policy and funding across agencies, aligning education with real jobs.

House concurred

Overview

SD 2461 would add a new section to Chapter 23 of the General Laws to require an annual, publicly available report on Massachusetts’ labor market. The report is designed to assess current conditions and project workforce needs over the next five years to support the state’s economic competitiveness. The bill was introduced in 2025 and, as of the latest actions, the House concurred with the Senate’s version.

Key Provisions

Annual Labor Market Report (Section 27(a))

The Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development must, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Economic Development, produce:
A status update on the current job market.
An analysis of labor market needs for the ensuing five-year period.
Recommendations on policies and investments to ensure a skilled workforce can meet anticipated needs, including identifying sectors with growth potential and gaps to fill.
A progress report on career pathway programs across high schools, higher education, and workforce training in targeted industries.
An analysis of data on the skills required for jobs in key industries (as identified by the Secretaries or as enumerated in a referenced list from the 2024 Acts, Chapter 238, §2, lines 7002–8070).

Public Availability and Policy Integration (Section 27(b))

The annual report must be made publicly available no later than December 31 each year.
The Secretary must also submit the report to the Governor, relevant state agencies (for policy development and funding decisions), and the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means for consideration.

Responsible Parties

Primary offices: Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development; in coordination with the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Economic Development.

The targeted output involves multiple state agencies and education/training providers, plus input from the governing bodies that oversee workforce investments.

Timeline and Procedural Status

Introduced: February 27, 2025.

Legislative action: Referred to the Senate Committee on Labor and Workforce Development on February 27, 2025; House concurred on February 27, 2025.

Effective date: The bill specifies annual reporting deadlines (December 31) but does not state when the act would take effect beyond that.

Affected Stakeholders

State agencies (Labor and Workforce Development; Education; Economic Development).

Public education institutions (high schools, higher education, workforce training programs) and employers.

Public and policymakers (Governor, General Court’s Ways and Means committees) who rely on the report to guide policy and funding decisions.

Potential Impact

Improves data-driven workforce planning by aligning education and training with identified labor market needs.

Supports strategic investments in growing industries and targeted skills development.

Increases transparency around career pathway progress and the effectiveness of workforce programs.

Facilitates cross-agency coordination to address gaps and anticipate future shortages.

Bill