9th Annual 495/MetroWest Employer Survey Launches

[broadstreet zone=”53820″]

WESTBOROUGH – The 495/MetroWest Partnership is inviting area business and organizational leaders across its 36-municipality service area to take part in its annual 495/MetroWest Employer Survey.

The survey represents a collaborative effort between the 495/MetroWest Partnership and Framingham State University’s MetroWest Economic Research Center (MERC).

Now in its 9th year, the survey has proven an important tool in gauging business confidence in the 495/MetroWest region and in forecasting future growth by regional employers, both in terms of hiring and site expansion.

[broadstreet zone=”59948″]

“This survey is an important tool both in the promotion of the region as an advantageous place to do business, and also in communicating to policymakers where and how challenges are impacting industry,” said Jason Palitsch, Executive Director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership. “While some questions have been part of the survey for many years, providing us the ability to examine trends over time, this year’s survey also more specifically gauges employer views on hiring and workforce concerns, supply chain disruptions, and returning staff to on-site work.”

“As our national and regional economies continue to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflationary pressures, it is critical to gauge the realities of our own local business community,” said Luis D. Rosero, PhD, Co-Director of MERC. “We at MERC are once again excited to collaborate with the 495/MetroWest Partnership in this recent edition of the Employers Survey. We are confident that this information will be of value to local stakeholders and policymakers in promoting regional economic development.”

The survey is also incorporated into the 495/MetroWest Partnership’s annual economic and demographic report, Strength in Numbers, which is used to market the region to site selectors and relocating companies, as well as to advance regional needs to state policymakers.

The survey should be completed by owners, leaders, or individuals with regional hiring authority for private, public, or nongovernmental organizations that have a presence in the 495/MetroWest region. The survey is entirely online and takes approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. Individual responses are kept anonymous; answers will be aggregated and reported with all responses. Results and analysis of the survey will be released later this spring. 

The survey can be accessed online via the 495/MetroWest Partnership’s website, 495Partnership.org. Responses are being collected through April 30.

[broadstreet zone=”59946″]  

The 495/MetroWest Partnership, headquartered in Westborough and serving 36 cities and towns across the region, is a unique public-private collaboration among businesses, municipalities, and other stakeholders whose mission is to lead the advancement of the 495/MetroWest region as an exceptional location for people, businesses, and communities. The vision of the Partnership is a 495/MetroWest region that enjoys sustainable economic growth, well-stewarded natural and built resources, and diverse transportation and housing choices, which together make the region a desirable place for all to live and work. The Partnership advances these aims by coordinating, educating, and advocating for solutions to regional challenges.

The MetroWest Economic Research Center (MERC) at Framingham State University, established in 1991, collects and analyzes data related to economic conditions in several Massachusetts regions including the MetroWest and South Shore Cohesive Commercial Statistical Areas (CCSA) and the Greater Marlborough Region. MERC provides data and analyses on economic issues of vital interest to these regions. MERC analysis has proven critical for regional and town planning as well as for the retention and recruitment of businesses.

[broadstreet zone=”59983″]