Massachusetts Economic Overview

INTRODUCTION  The Stata Center at MIT Ranked third among all U.S. states in per capital gross state product (GSP), Massachusetts has a varied and robust economy that flourishes amidst a rich mixture of history, culture, sports, education, and medicine. The state is famous as one of the world’s best medical research centers, and its universities and colleges are major employers. In addition, technology, electronics, and financial services contribute heavily to the state’s GSP of approximately $352 billion. Massachusetts is also a major commercial fishing state, with New Bedford producing around half of the scallops in the country. Boston has been the economic and cultural hub of the state since colonial times, and tourists from around the globe make it one of the world’s most popular destinations. ECONOMIC HISTORY In the 17th and 18th centuries, the economy of Massachusetts was mostly based on agriculture and maritime trade, and its ships were sometimes the victims of the Golden Age of Piracy. Massachusetts was the first state in the country to abolish slavery, and by the 1870s, it had become the first state in which more people lived in urban areas than on farms, as more immigrants became part of the workforce. During the 19th century, Massachusetts was one of the leading states in the Industrial Revolution, as textile factories and manufacturing industries developed and the agricultural economy changed to an industrial one. Shoes, furniture, and textiles were produced in these factories, which were powered by steam engines. Historic Mill Turbine in Suffolk County By the early 20th century, the economy shifted to heavy manufacturing, especially for the military. As science-based industries and technology developed, by the 1970s many high-tech companies employed graduates of Massachusetts universities. Today the economy is based on technological research and development and the service sector, including health care and tourism, especially in the Boston and Cape Cod areas. AGRICULTURE Ranked second in the country in the production of cranberries and blueberries, Massachusetts’s agricultural sector provides 40 percent of the total direct sales of farm products in New England. More than 80 percent of the farms in Massachusetts are family-owned, and the average direct market sales are $25,356 per farm, the second highest in the country. Annual revenues from agriculture are some $6 billion, and agritourism accounts for $5.3 million annually. The leading agricultural products in the state are greenhouse and nursery plants (35 percent), dairy products (15.6 percent), cranberries (17 percent), sweet corn (4 percent), and apples (3.5 percent). There are more than 13,500 workers in the agriculture sector with a combined annual payroll of $99 million. BANKING AND FINANCE Boston Is a Major Financial Center Boston, the Massachusetts state capital, is also its financial capital, hosting the Boston Stock Exchange and serving as one of the nation’s major financial centers. The Massachusetts Banking Association represents more than 200 banks in the state with a combined total of more than $1.8 trillion in assets. These banks include commercial banks, savings and cooperative banks, and savings and loan institutions. Altogether, there are more than 3,000 banking institutions in Massachusetts with more than 78,000 employees, who earn a combined annual payroll of some $4.5 billion. About 80 percent of insured financial institutions are savings institutions. COMMUNICATIONS The first overseas mail depot in the U.S. was established in Boston in 1639, and Alexander Graham Bell first demonstrated the telephone there in 1876. All major networks are represented in the two television markets in the Boston and Springfield areas. Some 100 newspapers are published in Massachusetts in both print and online versions. Airvana, a firm that builds mobile broadband access, recently won the Company of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Network Communications Council due to its revenues of more than $100 million. CONSTRUCTION The construction industry in Massachusetts currently employs roughly 108,400 workers, a drop from 2006 figures of 143,600. (Many residential and commercial real estate projects were cancelled or postponed due to the recent worldwide recession.) The average annual pay of a construction worker in the state is around $59,000. Nonresidential construction spending totaled around $13 billion, with direct construction spending accounting for $27 billion. Out of the 19,000 construction companies in Massachusetts, most (93 percent) are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. EDUCATION Harvard Medical School With more than 40 colleges in the Boston area alone, Massachusetts has always been a leader in education. In 1852 it was the first state to pass compulsory school attendance laws. Massachusetts was also the first state to open a training school for teachers, a college for women, a state school for special education children, and a school for the blind. There are more than 974,000 students enrolled in the public elementary and secondary schools, and more than 473,000 students enrolled in more than 110 degree-granting institutions. Harvard University, the country's first college, has more than 20,200 students, a faculty of about 2,100, a staff of more than 13,000, and an endowment of almost $26 billion. The neighboring Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has more than 10,300 students enrolled, a faculty of more than 1,000, and an endowment of $8 billion. ENERGY Massachusetts is committed to exploring renewable energy with the aim of reducing waste and pollution. The state’s clean energy sector provides 14,400 jobs, and Massachusetts is an incubator for clean energy firms, with 32 percent reporting annual revenues of more than $10 million. Electricity is supplied via hydropower by large dams and pumped storage facilities with capacities of more than 151 million kilowatts. Since 2008, the number of wind turbine installations has more than doubled, with 21 turbines supplying 15,220 kW of electricity. The Massachusetts Sustainable Forest Bioenergy Initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, is working on utilizing some of the four million tons of woody biomass in Massachusetts to generate 150 million watts of electricity. One nuclear power plant operates in Plymouth, with an average capacity of 557 million watts. ENTERTAINMENT Similar to other states, Massachusetts offers film industry tax incentives to encourage film production in the state. Tax credits of $113 million were generated in 2008, 91 percent of which went for feature films. Some 18 percent of the $289 million in industry wages paid in 2008 went to Massachusetts residents. Almost 2,000 full-time jobs were created by the film industry the same year, which added $52 million in 2008 to the GSP, not including wages paid to nonresidents of Massachusetts. Income tax paid on direct film production activity was $17.5 million. INSURANCE The Old John Hancock Building (left) and the New John Hancock Building (right) Some of the largest life, property, and casualty insurance firms in the country have their headquarters in Boston, such as John Hancock Mutual Life and New England Mutual Life Insurance Company. More than 3.2 million life insurance policies worth $277.2 billion can be in force in a given year, with death benefits paid in a year totaling $1.2 billion. Massachusetts was the first state to implement a no-fault automobile insurance law, but was the last state in the country to change from state-set auto insurance rates to a competitive rating system. In 2008, insurance companies in Massachusetts collected $1.7 billion in premiums for home insurance policies. MANUFACTURING There are more than 10,000 manufacturers in Massachusetts producing over $77 billion worth of goods. More than 266,000 employees work in this sector at an annual combined payroll of $15 billion. Some of the top manufactured products in Massachusetts are computers and electronic equipment, and there are more than 2,100 companies in this state that work in the sector. Together these companies employ some 91,900 workers and have estimated annual sales of more than $78.4 billion. In addition, Massachusetts houses nine branches of General Electric, ranked by Forbes in 2009 as the world’s biggest company. Military communications systems, fabricated metal products (knives and valves), and pharmaceuticals are also important manufactured products in this state. Alkermes, a pharmaceutical company based in Waltham, employs more than 500 workers and has revenues of more than $326 million. MINING AND EXTRACTION Some 1,200 employees currently work in Massachusetts’ mining and logging industry, producing nonfuel minerals worth about $210 million. Their average annual salary is around $49,000. Although the state accounts for less than one percent of the total U.S. nonfuel minerals produced, it ranks fifth in the production of dimension stone, worth nearly $12 million. The annual production value of crushed stone is approximately $109 million, sand and gravel are worth $90 million, clay around $321,000, and gemstones account for $1,000. NONPROFIT Boston Medical Center There are more than 24,000 nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts, some 9,000 of which have combined assets of more than $161.5 billion and expenditures of more than $52.1 billion. Institutes of higher education and hospitals have 57 percent and 12 percent of the assets, respectively. Human services account for most of the charitable nonprofits, at 25 percent, and include job training, shelters for the homeless, and soup kitchens; arts, culture, and entertainment make up another 21 percent, and educational services add another 20 percent. Around 65 percent of the revenue from nonprofits comes from the sale of goods or services, while private donations account for another 24 percent. Some 420,000 people are employed by these organizations, with an annual average income of $68,800. RETAIL The retail sector in Massachusetts employs approximately 569,000 residents and has total annual sales of $112 billion. Around $4 billion a year is collected as sales tax. The motor vehicles subsector posts the most sales, followed by food and beverages and general merchandise stores. Walmart, with nine supercenters and 37 discount stores in Massachusetts, employs a combined total of more than 12,300 workers at an average wage of $12.66 an hour. Aside from the $72.7 million in sales taxes to Massachusetts that Walmart collects, it also pays more than $18.5 million in corporate income tax. TECHNOLOGY The information technology sector in Massachusetts consists of more than 3,000 companies employing more than 170,000 workers. The state's IT sector spent some $65 billion in 2008, and the cumulative effects of spending by the industry, suppliers, and employees contributes some $14.7 billion in fees and taxes to the federal, state, and local governments. There are vigorous industry associations providing support for IT businesses and hold networking and educational events, such as the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, Inc., Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, and MassNetComms. In addition, 280 biotechnology companies such as Pfizer, Novartis, Merck, and Abbott Laboratories have locations in Massachusetts, employing approximately 26,300 workers. TRANSPORTATION MBTA's Forest Hills Station Logan International Airport is the major airport in Massachusetts. More than 25 million passengers travel through it annually, making it the 12th busiest airport in the country in terms of international travel. Some 12,000 workers are employed by the airport, which has an annual impact of $7 billion on the area’s economy. In addition, there are more than 40 public airfields and 200 private landing strips in the state. Twelve interstate highways traverse Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) runs subway, bus, and ferry systems in the Metropolitan Boston area. The MBTA is the country’s fifth largest mass transit system in terms of daily riders, and around 36 percent of its total revenue comes from fares. Every week there are approximately 1.1 million passenger trips taken on the MBTA system. The federal government provides about $23 million in grants and the state of Massachusetts contributes $112 million toward the running of the MBTA. Amtrak runs trains from Massachusetts to other states, and as of 2009, there are still 13 common carrier railways that are hauling freight in Massachusetts. The Port of Boston handles more than 15 million metric tons of cargo every year in addition to cruises for more than 233,000 tourists annually. TRAVEL AND TOURISM Old Sturbridge Village Some 26 million visitors tour Massachusetts annually, spending around $11.7 billion and supporting more than 147,600 jobs. About 43 percent of tourists visit its eastern coast, including Boston, Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, and Martha’s Vineyard. The World Wildlife Fund has named Massachusetts one of the world’s top 10 whale-watching spots, with a variety of species of whales found just off the coast. Attractions in the western part of the state are the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial (both in Springfield) and the battlegrounds of Lexington and Concord in Middlesex County. Every December, Boston residents dress up in colonial attire to re-enact the historic Boston Tea Party. For more history, Old Sturbridge Village is a recreated New England village from the 1830s where visitors can talk with costumed historians and see how colonial farmers, blacksmiths, and housewives lived. SPECIAL INDUSTRIES Since the Springfield Armory was chosen by president George Washington to produce guns for the U.S. Army, the economy of Western Massachusetts has been based on firearms production. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson produces firearms for most of the police departments in the nation and is the largest gun manufacturer in the country. Smith & Wesson employs more than 1,450 workers and has annual revenues of more than $296 million. The Savage Arms Company, located in Westfield, Massachusetts, also manufactures a variety of firearms. The arms and ammunition industry of the area has grown from supplying the U.S. Army to become a worldwide supplier of arms to thousands of police stations and commercial dealers. More than 1.8 million firearms are turned out annually from the region. -World Trade Press

Massachusetts Minerals Industry

Minerals Industry Report for Massachusetts View/Print/Download the complete report in PDF format In 2007, Massachusetts nonfuel raw mineral production was valued at $277 million, based upon annual U.S. Geological Survey data. This was an $11 million, or a 3.8%, decrease from the State’s total nonfuel mineral value in 2006, which then had increased by $38 million, up by more than 15% from that of 2005. Massachusetts leading nonfuel mineral commodities were, in descending order of production value, construction sand and gravel, crushed stone, and lime, the former two commodities accounting for 96% of the State’s total reported value. Because production value data for lime and for common clays have been withheld, the State’s actual total nonfuel mineral values for 2005–07 are significantly higher than those reported in table 1. Construction sand and gravel led the State’s nonfuel mineral commodities with an increase in value in 2007 of $5 million, a nearly 4% increase from that of 2006, despite a more than 11% decrease in production of 2 million metric tons (Mt). However, this was more than offset by a $16 million, or 11.6%, decrease in the value of crushed stone, in part the result of a 2.4 Mt, or nearly 18%, drop in stone production. Although dimension stone production increased by 11%, the mineral commodity’s value decreased slightly, and common clays production and production value also showed small decreases for the year (table 1). An increase in the production of lime and an increase in the mineral commodity’s unit value led to a nearly 18% increase in its production value. In 2007, the State continued to rank fourth among the States in the quantities of dimension stone produced; additionally, the quarries and sand pits in Massachusetts continued to produce significant quantities of construction sand and gravel and crushed stone as compared with those of the other producing States.

Massachusetts State Economic Account Massachusetts Economic Account View/Print/Download the complete report in PDF format The Bureau of Economic Analysis, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, annually compiles Economic Accounts reports at the national and state/regional levels. These reports consist of the following six elements: Per capita personal income in the state. Personal income is a more comprehensive measure of income than adjusted gross income, as used by the Internal Revenue Service. Among the elements it includes are tax-exempt income, the income of nonprofit institutions that primarily serve individuals, and property income earned on life insurance and annuity reserves of life insurance carriers. Total personal income (the sum of all personal income) in the state compared to the nation. A graph indicates the annual growth rate in the state and compares it both to the national figure and to the previous decade. Components of the state’s personal income. These statistics are compared to the national figures and to the previous decade. Gross domestic product (total production of goods and services) of the state. Gross domestic product (GDP) broken down by industry. Per capita GDP of the state compared to the region and the nation. Per capita GDP is obtained by dividing the GDP by the population of the state. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S. Department of Commerce)

Massachusetts State Agriculture Agriculture Overview View/Print/Download the complete report in PDF format STATE AGRICULTURE OVERVIEW (YEARLY) This yearly state agriculture report offers the most recent data on 32 kinds of crops, from alfalfa to winter wheat. It indicates acreage planted, acreage harvested, yield, production, and, where available, price per unit and total crop dollar value. The methods of collecting the data are not as exacting as those used for the census (see below), but they have advantages for researchers who need the most up-to-date information. Background For over two centuries, the U.S. government has recognized and responded to the importance of keeping accurate agricultural information. The nation's first agricultural survey was conducted by President George Washington. In 1791, Washington personally conducted a mail survey of farms in present-day Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia to collect agricultural statistics on land values, crops, yields, livestock prices, and taxes. Washington sent the details of his survey to an English correspondent, Arthur Young. Uses of Agricultural Surveys The reports Washington sent Young reflect some of the same concerns farmers have today. He worried that prices weren't keeping up with the cost of raising crops. He worried that some farmers weren't taking care of their land. He worried about the cost of transporting agricultural goods to markets and improving those routes. Washington's legacy of surveying and reporting on the state of agriculture in our country continued during the Civil War, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture collected and distributed crop and livestock statistics to help farmers assess the value of the goods they produced. At that time, commodity buyers usually had more current and detailed market information than did farmers. This circumstance often prevented farmers from getting a fair price for the goods they produced on their farms. Producers in today's marketplace would be similarly handicapped were it not for the information provided by the USDA?s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Census of Agriculture View/Print/Download the complete report in PDF format CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE (EVERY FIVE YEARS) The report at right summarizes the latest census data, compiled in 2007. The survey is conducted every five years by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The NASS collects statistics at the national, state/territory, and county levels, making an effort to count every U.S. farm. For purposes of the census, any place that produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural products during the census year was considered a farm. The first page of this summary answers the questions: How many farms are in the state? How big are the farms? What do the farms produce? How profitable are the farms and how much government subsidy do they receive? The tables on the second page go into more detail. They show: The value of the state's various agricultural products The state's rank among states that grow the same crops How much land is used for the most important crops and livestock items The age, gender, and ethnicity of people who operate farms, and whether their primary occupation is farming. Uses of the Agricultural Census Among those who use the data are farm organizations; businesses; state departments of agriculture; elected representatives and legislative bodies at all levels of government; public and private sector analysts; the news media; and colleges and universities. With accurate agricultural statistics, public and private entities concerned with agriculture can create better conditions to support the productivity and success of the country's farming operations. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture (National Agricultural Statistics Service)

Massachusetts GDP by State and Industry

The data shown below are for 2008. Figures are in millions of current dollars. All industry total 364,818   Private industries 331,970       Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 866           Crop and animal production (Farms) 361           Forestry, fishing, and related activities 505       Mining 125           Oil and gas extraction 1           Mining, except oil and gas 115           Support activities for mining 9       Utilities 4,875       Construction 13,511       Manufacturing 34,106           Durable goods 23,957               Wood product manufacturing 145               Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing 507               Primary metal manufacturing 447               Fabricated metal product manufacturing 3,348               Machinery manufacturing 1,910               Computer and electronic product manufacturing 10,585               Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing 1,263               Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing 121               Other transportation equipment manufacturing 1,859               Furniture and related product manufacturing 357               Miscellaneous manufacturing 3,416           Nondurable goods 10,148               Food product manufacturing 1,773               Textile and textile product mills 398               Apparel manufacturing 272               Paper manufacturing 923               Printing and related support activities 1,136               Petroleum and coal products manufacturing 283               Chemical manufacturing 3,908               Plastics and rubber products manufacturing 1,455       Wholesale trade 19,880       Retail trade 16,735       Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service 5,765           Air transportation 822           Rail transportation 187           Water transportation 153           Truck transportation 1,534           Transit and ground passenger transportation 915           Pipeline transportation 30           Other transportation and support activities 1,468           Warehousing and storage 655       Information 17,090           Publishing including software 8,602           Motion picture and sound recording industries 586           Broadcasting and telecommunications 5,656           Information and data processing services 2,246       Finance and insurance 40,580           Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services 11,279           Securities, commodity contracts, investments 11,333           Insurance carriers and related activities 15,395           Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles 2,573       Real estate and rental and leasing 50,927           Real estate 48,023           Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets 2,903       Professional and technical services 43,260           Legal services 6,728           Computer systems design and related services 8,028           Other professional, scientific and technical services 28,505       Management of companies and enterprises 7,941       Administrative and waste services 10,413           Administrative and support services 9,202           Waste management and remediation services 1,211       Educational services 9,799       Health care and social assistance 34,003           Ambulatory health care services 13,575           Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities 17,528           Social assistance 2,900       Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3,388           Performing arts, museums, and related activities 2,045           Amusement, gambling, and recreation 1,343       Accommodation and food services 9,840           Accommodation 2,663           Food services and drinking places 7,177       Other services, except government 8,866   Government 32,847       Federal civilian 5,444       Federal military 1,254       State and local 26,149 Data Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S. Department of Commerce) For further reference: Gross Domestic Product by State: Advance Statistics for 2009 and Revised Statistics for 1963-2008

Massachusetts Economic Overview

INTRODUCTION  The Stata Center at MIT Ranked third among all U.S. states in per capital gross state product (GSP), Massachusetts has a varied and robust economy that flourishes amidst a rich mixture of history, culture, sports, education, and medicine. The state is famous as one of the world’s best medical research centers, and its universities and colleges are major employers. In addition, technology, electronics, and financial services contribute heavily to the state’s GSP of approximately $352 billion. Massachusetts is also a major commercial fishing state, with New Bedford producing around half of the scallops in the country. Boston has been the economic and cultural hub of the state since colonial times, and tourists from around the globe make it one of the world’s most popular destinations. ECONOMIC HISTORY In the 17th and 18th centuries, the economy of Massachusetts was mostly based on agriculture and maritime trade, and its ships were sometimes the victims of the Golden Age of Piracy. Massachusetts was the first state in the country to abolish slavery, and by the 1870s, it had become the first state in which more people lived in urban areas than on farms, as more immigrants became part of the workforce. During the 19th century, Massachusetts was one of the leading states in the Industrial Revolution, as textile factories and manufacturing industries developed and the agricultural economy changed to an industrial one. Shoes, furniture, and textiles were produced in these factories, which were powered by steam engines. Historic Mill Turbine in Suffolk County By the early 20th century, the economy shifted to heavy manufacturing, especially for the military. As science-based industries and technology developed, by the 1970s many high-tech companies employed graduates of Massachusetts universities. Today the economy is based on technological research and development and the service sector, including health care and tourism, especially in the Boston and Cape Cod areas. AGRICULTURE Ranked second in the country in the production of cranberries and blueberries, Massachusetts’s agricultural sector provides 40 percent of the total direct sales of farm products in New England. More than 80 percent of the farms in Massachusetts are family-owned, and the average direct market sales are $25,356 per farm, the second highest in the country. Annual revenues from agriculture are some $6 billion, and agritourism accounts for $5.3 million annually. The leading agricultural products in the state are greenhouse and nursery plants (35 percent), dairy products (15.6 percent), cranberries (17 percent), sweet corn (4 percent), and apples (3.5 percent). There are more than 13,500 workers in the agriculture sector with a combined annual payroll of $99 million. BANKING AND FINANCE Boston Is a Major Financial Center Boston, the Massachusetts state capital, is also its financial capital, hosting the Boston Stock Exchange and serving as one of the nation’s major financial centers. The Massachusetts Banking Association represents more than 200 banks in the state with a combined total of more than $1.8 trillion in assets. These banks include commercial banks, savings and cooperative banks, and savings and loan institutions. Altogether, there are more than 3,000 banking institutions in Massachusetts with more than 78,000 employees, who earn a combined annual payroll of some $4.5 billion. About 80 percent of insured financial institutions are savings institutions. COMMUNICATIONS The first overseas mail depot in the U.S. was established in Boston in 1639, and Alexander Graham Bell first demonstrated the telephone there in 1876. All major networks are represented in the two television markets in the Boston and Springfield areas. Some 100 newspapers are published in Massachusetts in both print and online versions. Airvana, a firm that builds mobile broadband access, recently won the Company of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Network Communications Council due to its revenues of more than $100 million. CONSTRUCTION The construction industry in Massachusetts currently employs roughly 108,400 workers, a drop from 2006 figures of 143,600. (Many residential and commercial real estate projects were cancelled or postponed due to the recent worldwide recession.) The average annual pay of a construction worker in the state is around $59,000. Nonresidential construction spending totaled around $13 billion, with direct construction spending accounting for $27 billion. Out of the 19,000 construction companies in Massachusetts, most (93 percent) are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. EDUCATION Harvard Medical School With more than 40 colleges in the Boston area alone, Massachusetts has always been a leader in education. In 1852 it was the first state to pass compulsory school attendance laws. Massachusetts was also the first state to open a training school for teachers, a college for women, a state school for special education children, and a school for the blind. There are more than 974,000 students enrolled in the public elementary and secondary schools, and more than 473,000 students enrolled in more than 110 degree-granting institutions. Harvard University, the country's first college, has more than 20,200 students, a faculty of about 2,100, a staff of more than 13,000, and an endowment of almost $26 billion. The neighboring Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has more than 10,300 students enrolled, a faculty of more than 1,000, and an endowment of $8 billion. ENERGY Massachusetts is committed to exploring renewable energy with the aim of reducing waste and pollution. The state’s clean energy sector provides 14,400 jobs, and Massachusetts is an incubator for clean energy firms, with 32 percent reporting annual revenues of more than $10 million. Electricity is supplied via hydropower by large dams and pumped storage facilities with capacities of more than 151 million kilowatts. Since 2008, the number of wind turbine installations has more than doubled, with 21 turbines supplying 15,220 kW of electricity. The Massachusetts Sustainable Forest Bioenergy Initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, is working on utilizing some of the four million tons of woody biomass in Massachusetts to generate 150 million watts of electricity. One nuclear power plant operates in Plymouth, with an average capacity of 557 million watts. ENTERTAINMENT Similar to other states, Massachusetts offers film industry tax incentives to encourage film production in the state. Tax credits of $113 million were generated in 2008, 91 percent of which went for feature films. Some 18 percent of the $289 million in industry wages paid in 2008 went to Massachusetts residents. Almost 2,000 full-time jobs were created by the film industry the same year, which added $52 million in 2008 to the GSP, not including wages paid to nonresidents of Massachusetts. Income tax paid on direct film production activity was $17.5 million. INSURANCE The Old John Hancock Building (left) and the New John Hancock Building (right) Some of the largest life, property, and casualty insurance firms in the country have their headquarters in Boston, such as John Hancock Mutual Life and New England Mutual Life Insurance Company. More than 3.2 million life insurance policies worth $277.2 billion can be in force in a given year, with death benefits paid in a year totaling $1.2 billion. Massachusetts was the first state to implement a no-fault automobile insurance law, but was the last state in the country to change from state-set auto insurance rates to a competitive rating system. In 2008, insurance companies in Massachusetts collected $1.7 billion in premiums for home insurance policies. MANUFACTURING There are more than 10,000 manufacturers in Massachusetts producing over $77 billion worth of goods. More than 266,000 employees work in this sector at an annual combined payroll of $15 billion. Some of the top manufactured products in Massachusetts are computers and electronic equipment, and there are more than 2,100 companies in this state that work in the sector. Together these companies employ some 91,900 workers and have estimated annual sales of more than $78.4 billion. In addition, Massachusetts houses nine branches of General Electric, ranked by Forbes in 2009 as the world’s biggest company. Military communications systems, fabricated metal products (knives and valves), and pharmaceuticals are also important manufactured products in this state. Alkermes, a pharmaceutical company based in Waltham, employs more than 500 workers and has revenues of more than $326 million. MINING AND EXTRACTION Some 1,200 employees currently work in Massachusetts’ mining and logging industry, producing nonfuel minerals worth about $210 million. Their average annual salary is around $49,000. Although the state accounts for less than one percent of the total U.S. nonfuel minerals produced, it ranks fifth in the production of dimension stone, worth nearly $12 million. The annual production value of crushed stone is approximately $109 million, sand and gravel are worth $90 million, clay around $321,000, and gemstones account for $1,000. NONPROFIT Boston Medical Center There are more than 24,000 nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts, some 9,000 of which have combined assets of more than $161.5 billion and expenditures of more than $52.1 billion. Institutes of higher education and hospitals have 57 percent and 12 percent of the assets, respectively. Human services account for most of the charitable nonprofits, at 25 percent, and include job training, shelters for the homeless, and soup kitchens; arts, culture, and entertainment make up another 21 percent, and educational services add another 20 percent. Around 65 percent of the revenue from nonprofits comes from the sale of goods or services, while private donations account for another 24 percent. Some 420,000 people are employed by these organizations, with an annual average income of $68,800. RETAIL The retail sector in Massachusetts employs approximately 569,000 residents and has total annual sales of $112 billion. Around $4 billion a year is collected as sales tax. The motor vehicles subsector posts the most sales, followed by food and beverages and general merchandise stores. Walmart, with nine supercenters and 37 discount stores in Massachusetts, employs a combined total of more than 12,300 workers at an average wage of $12.66 an hour. Aside from the $72.7 million in sales taxes to Massachusetts that Walmart collects, it also pays more than $18.5 million in corporate income tax. TECHNOLOGY The information technology sector in Massachusetts consists of more than 3,000 companies employing more than 170,000 workers. The state's IT sector spent some $65 billion in 2008, and the cumulative effects of spending by the industry, suppliers, and employees contributes some $14.7 billion in fees and taxes to the federal, state, and local governments. There are vigorous industry associations providing support for IT businesses and hold networking and educational events, such as the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, Inc., Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, and MassNetComms. In addition, 280 biotechnology companies such as Pfizer, Novartis, Merck, and Abbott Laboratories have locations in Massachusetts, employing approximately 26,300 workers. TRANSPORTATION MBTA's Forest Hills Station Logan International Airport is the major airport in Massachusetts. More than 25 million passengers travel through it annually, making it the 12th busiest airport in the country in terms of international travel. Some 12,000 workers are employed by the airport, which has an annual impact of $7 billion on the area’s economy. In addition, there are more than 40 public airfields and 200 private landing strips in the state. Twelve interstate highways traverse Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) runs subway, bus, and ferry systems in the Metropolitan Boston area. The MBTA is the country’s fifth largest mass transit system in terms of daily riders, and around 36 percent of its total revenue comes from fares. Every week there are approximately 1.1 million passenger trips taken on the MBTA system. The federal government provides about $23 million in grants and the state of Massachusetts contributes $112 million toward the running of the MBTA. Amtrak runs trains from Massachusetts to other states, and as of 2009, there are still 13 common carrier railways that are hauling freight in Massachusetts. The Port of Boston handles more than 15 million metric tons of cargo every year in addition to cruises for more than 233,000 tourists annually. TRAVEL AND TOURISM Old Sturbridge Village Some 26 million visitors tour Massachusetts annually, spending around $11.7 billion and supporting more than 147,600 jobs. About 43 percent of tourists visit its eastern coast, including Boston, Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, and Martha’s Vineyard. The World Wildlife Fund has named Massachusetts one of the world’s top 10 whale-watching spots, with a variety of species of whales found just off the coast. Attractions in the western part of the state are the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial (both in Springfield) and the battlegrounds of Lexington and Concord in Middlesex County. Every December, Boston residents dress up in colonial attire to re-enact the historic Boston Tea Party. For more history, Old Sturbridge Village is a recreated New England village from the 1830s where visitors can talk with costumed historians and see how colonial farmers, blacksmiths, and housewives lived. SPECIAL INDUSTRIES Since the Springfield Armory was chosen by president George Washington to produce guns for the U.S. Army, the economy of Western Massachusetts has been based on firearms production. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson produces firearms for most of the police departments in the nation and is the largest gun manufacturer in the country. Smith & Wesson employs more than 1,450 workers and has annual revenues of more than $296 million. The Savage Arms Company, located in Westfield, Massachusetts, also manufactures a variety of firearms. The arms and ammunition industry of the area has grown from supplying the U.S. Army to become a worldwide supplier of arms to thousands of police stations and commercial dealers. More than 1.8 million firearms are turned out annually from the region. -World Trade Press

Naturally Occurring Vegetative Cover Types of Massachusetts

Presented here are brief descriptions of 35 naturally occurring vegetative cover types that were used to characterize prevailing vegetation of Ecoregion "sections" of the conterminous United States. Cover types may be visualized as the general, natural vegetation viewed from an aerial perspective. These cover types are used for descriptive purposes in the section narratives and should not be confused with potential natural vegetation (PNV), which was used in the process of identification and delineation of larger ecological units. Some cover types are similar to PNV, particularly in forested regions. Other cover types, such as the prairie type, are present only in small areas that have been changed to agricultural type. For example, cover types may result from exclusion of some types of natural disturbance, such as fire, and include planned disturbances, such as harvesting. WHITE-RED-JACK PINE COVER TYPES   View/ Download a printable PDF version Physiography The white-red-jack pine cover type occurs generally on smooth to irregular plains and tablelands of northern Lake states and parts of New York and New England. More than 50 percent of the area is gently sloping. Climate Precipitation averages 25-45 inches annually and is distributed rather evenly throughout the year. Normal pan evaporation is 30-35 inches. During the frost-free season of 120-140 days, precipitation is roughly equal to evaporation.  Vegetation Forests in which 50 percent or more of the stand is eastern white pine, red pine, or jack pine, singly or in combination, represent the white-red-jack pine cover type. Common associates include oak, eastern hemlock, aspen, birch, northern white-cedar, and maple. Much of this cover type is included in Kuchler's Great Lakes pine forest community. Fauna The white-tailed deer and black bear are the most common larger mammals in this cover type, and the moose inhabits the extreme northern portion. The woodland caribou formerly was abundant. In times past, the eastern timber wolf was very numerous and fed on small animals and the larger mammals just mentioned, but it has become very scarce and is classified as an endangered species.  The coyote, bobcat, great horned owl, and hawks are among current predators. The snowshoe rabbit and other small forest mammals are the main food source of the predators already mentioned. Spruce grouse and ruffed grouse inhabit the cover type. Porcupines inhabit parts of the cover type and become a problem in forest management when they are overly abundant. Birds Breeding bird populations average about 153 pairs per 100 acres. The black-burnian and the black-throated green warbler are the most abundant. Other birds include the whippoorwill, crested flycatcher, wood pewee, white-breasted nuthatch, veery, tanagers, ruffed grouse, great horned owl, pileated woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, blue jay, chickadees, red-eyed vireo, black-and-white warbler, ovenbird, redstart, black-throated blue warbler, hermit thrush, magnolia warbler, Canada warbler, yellow-bellied sapsucker, olive-sided flycatcher, red-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, winter wren, blue-headed vireo, myrtle warbler, slate-colored junco, and white-throated sparrow. The endangered Kirtland's warbler occurs in limited areas. Soils The cool, moist soils are predominantly Spodosols. They have a low supply of bases and a horizon in which organic matter and compounds of iron and aluminum have accumulated, but they have no dense, brittle, or indurated horizon (Haplorthods).Soils of a significant proportion of the cover type are moist throughout the year and coarse textured,and they lack pedogenic horizons (Udipsamments).  Land Use Nearly all of the land is forested and is used principally for lumbering and recreation. The associated cropland is devoted largely to growing potatoes and forage for dairy cattle. Large urban areas characterize the northeastern portions. Data Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service THE OAK-HICKORY COVER TYPE   View/ Download a printable PDF version  Physiography The oak-hickory cover type occurs in areas of the eastern United States that are more mesophytic than surrounding areas. It reaches from southern Maine to Lake Huron and to southern Texas.  Its most continuous area is known as the Ozark Plateaus with extensions (Cross Timbers) into the semiarid grasslands of the southern Great Plains and the interior low plateaus that fuse with the glacial till plains south of the Great Lakes and extend westward around the Ozark Plateaus (immediately west of the central Appalachian Highlands). This cover type also occurs on the uppermost limits of the Appalachian Highlands, known as the Blue Ridge and the valley and ridge provinces of these highlands. These areas are geologically the oldest uplifts in the United States. Geography The Ozark Plateaus and their extensions comprise an area of 72,000 square miles west of the Mississippi River and south of the Missouri River. They consist of plateaus, variously dissected, and of strong rock. Much of the area is steep and lies at altitudes of 1,000-2,000 feet. Narrow belts of physiographically similar areas extend as far south as Texas and New Orleans and, along streams, north into Iowa. The interior low plateaus and their extensions lie east and north and extend westward around the Ozark Plateaus. These plateaus are similar to the Appalachian provinces in that the rocks and soils are highly weathered. The extensions are more characteristically glacial till plains. The Blue Ridge and the valley and ridge provinces are Appalachian Mountain belts west of the Piedmont. The mountains are remnants of a former highland. Most of the rocks are old, strong,and of highly complex structure. These provinces are characterized by "folded" mountains in which resistant strata form ridges and weaker rocks are worn down to lowlands. The oak-hickory cover type also includes the Black Belt, which is the richest and best known lowland on the East Gulf Coastal Plain. It is so named because of the deep, black residual soil. The belt varies from 20-25 miles wide from near the Georgia border, west through Alabama, and north through Mississippi. Its altitude varies from 200-400 feet. Rivers cut through the belt; there are few smaller streams. Climate Temperatures vary considerably in this cover type. The frost-free season is about 120 days in the northern portion and almost 300 days in southern Texas. In most of the area, the frost-free season ranges from 160-200 days. Annual precipitation ranges from less than 30 to more than 50 inches, averaging 35-45 inches. More than half of the precipitation falls in the warmest months. In many areas, potential evaporation during the warmest months is about equal to the precipitation. Vegetation The oak-hickory cover type varies from open to closed woods with a strong to weak understory of shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants. By definition, oak and hickory must make up 50 percent of the stand, singly or in combination. The cover type includes six vegetation communities: the Black Belt on the Coastal Plain in Alabama and Mississippi, the oak-hickory forest and the mosaic of the oak-hickory forest and bluestem prairie communities of the Ozark Plateaus and interior low plateaus and their extensions, the oak forest of the Appalachians, the oak savanna, and Cross Timbers.  Sweetgum and red cedar are close associates in the southern (Black Belt) region of the cover type. Maple, elm, yellow-poplar, and black walnut often are close associates in eastern and northern parts of the oak forest and the oak-hickory-bluestem mosaic. The major shrubs are blueberry, viburnum, dogwood, rhododendron, and sumac. The major vines are woodbine, grape, poison ivy, greenbrier, and blackberry. Important herbaceous plants are sedge, panicum, bluestem,lespedeza, tick clover, goldenrod, pussytoes, and aster; many more are abundant locally. Fauna The fauna of the oak-hickory cover type is similar to that of other eastern hardwood and hardwood-conifer areas and varies somewhat from north to south. Important animals in the cover type include the white-tailed deer, black bear, bobcat, gray fox, raccoon, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, eastern chipmunk, white-footed mouse, pine vole, short-tailed shrew, and cotton mouse. Bird populations are large. The turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite, and mourning dove are game birds in various parts of the cover type. Breeding bird populations average about 225 pairs per 100 acres and include some 24 or 25 species. The most abundant breeding birds include the cardinal, tufted titmouse, wood thrush, summer tanager, red-eyed vireo, blue-gray gnatcatcher, hooded warbler, and Carolina wren. The box turtle, common garter snake, and timber rattlesnake are characteristic reptiles. Soils The soils of this cover type are varied. The northeastern oak-hickory forest and the northeastern portion of the Appalachian oak forest are on Inceptisols and Ultisols. Soils of the smaller Black Belt area are largely Ultisols. The soils of the largest community in the cover type, the oak-hickory forest, are mainly Mollisols and Alfisols in the north and Ultisols in the central portion. Two "fingers" of the oak-hickory forest reaching into southern Texas coincide with areas of Alfisols; Vertisols on all sides are in other cover types. Land Use Small general farms characterize much of the area, but there are also large dairy and livestock farms. Tobacco is an important cash crop in the east and cotton is important in the west. The steeper slopes, accounting for almost half the area, are mainly in forest, which is used for both recreation and timber production. A large part of the nation's coal is mined in this cover type. Data Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service THE MAPLE-BEECH-BIRCH COVER TYPE   View/ Download a printable PDF version  Physiography The maple-beech-birch cover type is best-developed in the New England States. Typically, it occurs on open high hills and low mountains. Only about 20-30 percent of the area is gently sloping. Ridges rise 500-3,000 feet above the broad valleys. Farther west, in the Lake States, the cover type occurs on irregular plains and tablelands. There, 50-80 percent of the area is gently sloping and local relief is normally 100-300 feet. Climate Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40-48 inches and is about 41 inches at central locations. The average annual snowfall of 72 inches covers the ground for about 87 days each year. The number of freeze-free days ranges from 120-150 per year. The mean daily maximum temperature is 24-36°F in January and74-80°F in July. The corresponding minimum temperatures are 4-18°F and 52-60°F. Potential evapotranspiration is 17-28 inches. The mean annual water surplus is 10-34 inches. Vegetation A forest is classified as being in this cover type when 50 percent or more of the stand is maple, beech, or yellow birch, singly or in combination. Common associates include hemlock, elm, basswood, and white pine. Fauna The white-tailed deer occurs throughout much of the maple-beech-birch cover type. The hardwood forest and the openings and farms within it provide food nd cover for a varied fauna. The black bear is present in many areas. The wolf is no longer common, but the red fox and gray fox are rather widespread, as is the bobcat. Several species of squirrels are in the forest, and a number of smaller rodents inhabit the forest floor. The ruffed grouse is widespread, and the bobwhite inhabits the interspersed farmlands and forest openings. Songbirds include the ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, hermit thrush, scarlet tanager, blue jay,black- capped chickadee, wood pewee, and magnolia warbler. Soils Typical soils have a low supply of bases and a subsurface horizon that is dense and brittle but not indurated or that contains an accumulation of organic matter and iron and aluminum compounds (Fragiorthods and Haplorthods). Other major soils have light-colored surface horizons and a subsurface horizon that is dense and brittle but not indurated (Fragiochrepts). Land Use Much of the area is in farms. Feed grains and forage for dairy cattle are the principal crops. Potatoes are important locally. The steeper land is mainly forested, produces significant amounts of timber, and is an important recreation resource. Data Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service