Doug Howgate, executive vice president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said he thinks the state is right to take a careful approach with its federal aid and that it’s important legislators consider how the American Rescue Plan’s additional funding, such as for education and child care,…

The job loss related to COVID-19 has placed an unprecedented strain on our economy and our unemployment insurance (UI) system. The strain on the UI system creates two major policy challenges that require near-term action. First, unemployment taxes on employers are scheduled to skyrocket at the end…

“There’s absolutely a concern,” says Eileen McAnneny, the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which published a recent report on the impact of telework on Massachusetts. “People have more choices than they did before the pandemic.”

The rise in the number of people suddenly seeking unemployment is expected to add to the per-employee cost of unemployment insurance. This insurance is paid by employers — at a rate that's already among the highest in the nation — and it could go up by 60% next year, according to the…

Even then, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation projected the state’s tax collections in fiscal year 2021 could fall $6 billion short of earlier estimates.

On April 28, Governor Baker announced the formation of a 19-member Advisory Board to determine the best ways to open the economy. Chaired by Lt. Governor Polito and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Michael Kennealy, along with representatives from businesses, public health and…

McAnneny now expects the shutdown to raise the state unemployment rate to 22 percent by the end of June. She projects that 323,000 jobs will be recovered by June 2021, but employment is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels before 2024. That will have a devastating effect on the state budget…

McAnneny said the foundation’s analysis was completed before Gov. Charlie Baker released his plan for the state’s reopening on Monday. She said the foundation’s analysis assumes that economic activity will resume this summer, but it will be slow and uneven, resulting in lower tax revenues. She said…

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a budget watchdog group backed by businesses, estimated the state’s revenue for the next fiscal year could drop $3.9 billion, or 15 percent, below past projections. New York said revenues could fall by as much as $15 billion in its fiscal year that started…

Launched by Massachusetts Governor Baker and First Lady Lauren Baker in partnership with the One8 Foundation, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund will serve essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations across the state facing homelessness, food insecurity and loss of critical services…