Summary:

This report, by the Economic and Public Policy research group at the UMass Donahue Institute, presents an economic profile of Springfield, drawn from a compilation of the three identified Massachusetts casino host communities1 to provide information on baseline economic conditions within Springfield before the introduction of casinos. A specific set of data measures have been selected to create a portrait of each place as well as select economic and fiscal data indictors for the identified surrounding communities. The information illustrates recent trends and conditions within the city or town’s industrial structure, business community, labor force and residential population. These profile data will be updated after casinos are introduced in order to track economic changes over time.

This host profile contains detailed data in several conceptual areas: industrial base and business conditions; resident indicators; and fiscal indicators. In the industrial base section, business-based economic indicators show growth trends in employment and number of establishments over time and changes in average annual wages offered in the municipality. The mix and share of industries in the community provide a picture of what drives the industrial base. The business conditions provide insight into the local business climate and presents data on changes in sales over time in the host community. A more specific look at the Leisure and Hospitality industry sheds light on how tourism-related businesses have been faring. The resident indicators section offers a demographic and economic picture of those living in the municipality including population change, educational attainment levels, English proficiency, median income, poverty, unemployment, and labor force participation rates. Finally, the fiscal indicators section gives a breakdown of government expenditures and revenues for the municipality including the prevalence of industrial, commercial, and residential real estate taxes.