Massachusetts Releases 2026 Workforce Data Report Highlighting Employment Trends

Highlights

• Massachusetts has published its 2026 Workforce Data Report covering public, private, and nonprofit employers.
• The report analyzes workforce demographics from employers with 100 or more employees.
• More than 1,500 private-sector employer submissions represented approximately 760,000 workers.
• The report identifies workforce representation trends across leadership, job categories, industries, and pay levels.

Workforce data continues to shape hiring and talent development strategies across industries, including construction. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) has released its 2026 Workforce Data Report, providing employer-reported workforce demographic information intended to help organizations better understand employment trends and workforce representation across the Commonwealth.

Employer Data Provides Workforce Snapshot

The report analyzes information submitted by private, nonprofit, state, and local government employers with at least 100 employees.

According to the report, Massachusetts received 1,526 EEO-1 submissions from private and nonprofit organizations, representing approximately 760,000 employees. The analysis also includes 34 EEO-4 submissions from state and local government employers covering roughly 71,000 workers.

The report examines workforce representation by race, gender, industry, occupation, organizational size, and salary range.

Key Workforce Findings

Among the report's findings, women represent a majority of the private-sector workforce but remain underrepresented in executive and senior management positions. The analysis also identifies disparities in professional, managerial, service, and labor occupations among different demographic groups.

The report notes that larger employers generally report higher levels of workforce diversity within executive leadership roles. Public-sector findings also identify differences in workforce representation across government functions and salary bands.

The annual report fulfills requirements established under the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act, which also introduced salary transparency requirements for qualifying employers.

Why It Matters

For construction owners, contractors, and developers, workforce data can help inform recruitment, retention, and workforce planning strategies amid ongoing labor shortages. Employer-reported demographic information also provides insight into broader labor market trends that may influence hiring practices, workforce development initiatives, and long-term talent availability across the construction industry.

Source: Mass. Gov.