A Good Week for Massachusetts

July 15, 2010

Friends,

Recent economic news continues to confirm that Massachusetts is on the mend and on the move, and is coming out of this recession faster and stronger than other states. You don’t have to take my word for it. On Tuesday, CNBC ranked Massachusetts as the 5th best state for business, the highest we have ever appeared on those rankings, and yesterday it was reported that the state added 3,400 private-sector jobs in June, for a total of 45,000 jobs added since December.

This comes on the heels of other good economic news, including:

• A report issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia that concluded that the Massachusetts economy outperformed 48 other states during the last 3 months of 2009.

• The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)'s Business Confidence Index has increased 14 of the last 16 months, and consumer confidence is the highest it's been since before the recession.

• Studies from The New England Economic Partnership (NEEP), Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts, show that the Massachusetts economy's recovery is "firmly on track."

• All three independent rating agencies -- Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Services, and Standard & Poor's -- continue to affirm the state's AA bond rating, and credit our leadership during the global economic crisis.

• According to pre-census reports, for the first time in twenty years, more people are moving into Massachusetts than moving out.

We are leading the nation out of this recession because we have focused on job creation as our top priority. We have invested in our core industries: the life sciences, biotech, information technology, health care, and education. We are improving public schools. We are also leading the nation out of the recession because of the work of business leaders across the state.

That is why today I was proud to announce the chairs of our new council, "Business Leaders for Deval Patrick and Tim Murray." This group will be integral to our outreach and organizing efforts within the business community. The chairs represent a wide variety of business interests, from small business owners to the CEOs of some of the Commonwealth's largest employers. You can find out more about them here.

But even as positive as this news is, there is still much work to be done. The global economic collapse has cost too many jobs, and the Lt. Governor and I will not stop working until everyone who seeks a job can find one. We need your help to do that and to finish what we started. Please forward this email to ten of your friends, and ask them to join our cause.

Thanks,