The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a policy research group, argued in a report released Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic underscored signs that the state's competitive edge was already waning. Tens of thousands of taxpayers were already fleeing the state every year, the report contends, but the pandemic reshaped how and where people work while highlighting the dire need for greater access to child care, housing, safe transportation and workforce development.

The group called on policymakers to take steps to quickly cut the costs of unemployment and housing, limit tax burdens, bolster training, address MBTA failures and prioritize child care access and affordability.