Pols & Politics: Massachusetts government workforce at an ‘all-time high in 2025,’ report says

The size of the state government workforce hit a new high in 2025, a new Pioneer Institute study reported, recommending implementing a program to reduce positions.

Positions under the governor’s authority grew 10.6% by fiscal year 2025 from three years prior, reaching 46,408, the institute’s “Massachusetts’ State Government Workforce” report found.

State government costs were 24% of total spending or $23.5 billion in the last year, the report stated, and total public sector jobs grew by nearly 15,000 since 2019.

“An expanding government workforce alongside a shrinking private sector is a warning sign for Massachusetts’ competitiveness,” Pioneer Executive Director Jim Stergios stated. “It suggests the economy isn’t growing enough to support our rising expenditures — and that’s something we have to change.”

The institute argued an “attrition program” could reduce positions under the governor’s authority by 5,000 and “save taxpayers $1.5 billion over five years by backfilling three of every four positions that are vacated.” About 4,000 of the positions are vacated each year, the report notes, contending that only 3,000 should be backfilled.

The initiative could exclude positions like “direct care and public safety,” the report states.

The report notes that Gov. Maura Healey implemented a hiring freeze in May 2025, contributing to the reduction of 743 full time positions.

Budget amendment adds taxpayer funding for voter education nonprofit

A new amendment added to the state budget in the Massachusetts Senate would add $25,000 of funding for a local voter education nonprofit.

The amendment, sponsored by Sens. Liz Miranda and Rebecca Rausch, would provide funding “to Massachusetts Voter Education Network Inc. to support nonpartisan civic engagement, voter education, youth leadership development, voter registration and participation efforts and community-based democracy and electoral justice initiatives across the Commonwealth.”

Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Executive Director Paul Craney criticized the amendment, arguing “earmarking taxpayer money to a non-profit organization that drives out voter turn out and is advocating for a policy that is also being proposed as a ballot question” seems “very wrong. Craney cited the nonprofit’s stated advocacy to “advance same day voter registration,” which has been proposed as a ballot question supported by the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

The state Senate approved a $63.4 billion annual state budget bill unanimously Thursday, after it grew by over $70 million during the chamber’s deliberations. The budget now heads to conference committee negotiations with the House, which passed its own version in April.

The voter education funding measure ensures “not less than $25,000” for the Massachusetts Voter Education Network, also known as MassVote.