Government jobs have grown significantly in Massachusetts, while the private sector remains stagnant. Gary Blank, who spent five years in state government roles, now works at the Pioneer Institute, criticizing the rapid expansion of public sector employment. Blank’s research highlights how Massachusetts’ workforce expanded since the pandemic, yet private sector jobs have not recovered. In 2025, the state employed 471,000 people, up from 15,000 in 2019, but private-sector employment stood at 3.2 million, just below pre-pandemic levels. Blank suggests a modest solution: reducing approximately one-quarter of open positions through attrition to prevent layoffs, which could make hiring more challenging. For those affected, this would mean avoiding about 1,000 new positions annually. "I knew anecdotally that government would increase a lot coming out of the pandemic," Blank says, though he was surprised by how much state government grew over the past two years. He worked in administrative roles under former Governor Charlie Baker before joining Pioneer in January as a senior fellow, where he focuses on policy and talent management. The Pioneer Institute recently pushed an income tax cut to the ballot, but Blank notes that his work didn’t align with that campaign. Despite the ballot question, Blank emphasizes that even if it fails, we still need smarter hiring strategies. This week, the Bold Types column explores these trends, featuring Jon Chesto, a Boston business analyst. For more details, follow Jon on Twitter @jonchesto.
