An Electronic Publication of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
Inside this edition, you’ll discover the latest Chamber initiatives and success stories from across our region. From economic development projects and upcoming networking events to policy updates and workforce training opportunities, we’re keeping you connected to what matters most for your business and North Central Massachusetts.
June 2026
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A federally guided shift in how Massachusetts distributed the burden of unemployment costs led to higher-than-expected bills this spring for many businesses, and the step also spared industries hardest hit during the pandemic from being “clobbered” with taxes, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said Friday.
In the first virtual meeting of a new commission created to study potential reforms to the state’s unemployment system, Acosta outlined the massive toll the COVID-19 outbreak — and the government-ordered closures and shifts in consumer behavior it prompted — took on workers.
Acosta confirmed that states are empowered to deploy stimulus funding through the American Rescue Plan to replenish unemployment insurance trust funds. She did not say if the Baker administration plans to do so or whether it would use federal dollars to mitigate the sticker shock that many businesses face from an unexpected spike in the solvency fund assessment section of their unemployment taxes.
Employers that lay off significant numbers of workers typically receive a higher experience rating, requiring them to pay more into the jobless system. The U.S. Department of Labor told states not to apply those penalties for pandemic-related losses, leaving them instead to spread the costs out across all industries through the solvency fund assessment.
“If those rates had not been socialized, you would’ve had certain industries that would’ve been clobbered because they had the highest layoffs,” Acosta said. “Instead of affecting one industry or two industries or three industries disproportionately, the Department of Labor in Washington encouraged us to socialize those rates into a solvency account so that the effects of COVID would not be felt by particular industries.”
Like states across the country, Massachusetts faced an “unprecedented year” in 2020, Acosta said. The state paid about $22 billion in unemployment benefits to roughly 1 million claimants. About $5.9 billion of that came from the Massachusetts UI trust fund, Acosta said, while the rest was paid using federal dollars through several pandemic-related programs.
The commission, created in a bill Gov. Charlie Baker signed in April, will hold its next meeting on Friday, June 4, when it expects to hear a presentation about unemployment systems in other states. It faces a deadline of Dec. 15, 2021 to report findings and recommendations about reforming the state’s unemployment system to keep it solvent in the long-term.
House lawmakers early this week may roll out their own plan to address solvency assessments.
Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that the Commonwealth is on track to meet the goal of vaccinating 4.1 million residents by the first week of June and all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted effective May 29.
The Commonwealth’s face covering order will also be rescinded on May 29. The Department of Public Health will issue a new face covering advisory consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance. Face coverings will still be mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail and transportation stations), in healthcare facilities and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.
Governor Charlie Baker will end the State of Emergency June 15.
The Administration also announced updates that will be effective May 18 to revise face covering requirements for youth and amateur sports and other guidance relating to childcare programs and K-12 schools. The Administration will release updated guidance for summer camps effective May 29.
The Administration is able to take these steps to reopen the Commonwealth’s economy because Massachusetts is on track to meet the goal set in December to fully vaccinate over 4 million individuals by the first week of June. The Commonwealth leads the nation in vaccinating residents, with 75% of adults receiving at least one dose. To date, over 4 million residents have received a first dose, with 3.2 million fully vaccinated.
New cases have dropped by 89% since January 8. COVID hospitalizations are down 88% since January 1 and the positive test rate is down by 88% from peaking at 8.7% on January 1 to 1% today.
Effective May 29
Effective May 29, all industries will be permitted to open. With the exception of remaining face-covering requirements for public and private transportation systems and facilities housing vulnerable populations, all industry restrictions will be lifted, and capacity will increase to 100% for all industries. The gathering limit will be rescinded.
All industries will be encouraged to follow CDC guidance for cleaning and hygiene protocols.
On May 18, 2020, the Administration published the reopening phases, which called for ending restrictions when vaccines became widely available. Today, there are over 975 locations for Massachusetts residents to access vaccines without delay.
Face Covering Guidance
In line with updated CDC face covering guidance, the Administration will rescind the current face covering order and issue a new face covering advisory effective May 29.
Non-vaccinated individuals are advised to continue wearing face masks and to continue distancing in most settings. The advisory will also recommend fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face covering or social distance indoors or outdoors except for in certain situations.
Face coverings will still be required for all individuals on public and private transportation (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail and transportation stations), healthcare facilities and providers, congregate care settings and health and rehabilitative day services.
Face coverings will also remain required indoors for staff and students of K-12 schools and early education providers.
Effective May 18, the youth and amateur sports guidance will be updated to no longer require face coverings for youth athletes 18 and under while playing outdoor sports. Effective May 29, all youth and amateur sports restrictions will be lifted.
Effective May 18, guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Early Education and Care will be updated to no longer require masks for outdoor activities like recess and to allow for the sharing of objects in classrooms, in both K-12 and childcare settings. This guidance will remain in effect beyond May 29.
The Administration will release updated guidance for summer camps, effective May 29, which will include no longer requiring masks for outdoor activities.
Governor Baker will end the State of Emergency June 15, and the Administration will work with legislative and municipal partners during this period in order to manage an orderly transition from emergency measures adopted by executive order and special legislation during the period of the State of Emergency.
Third in a series of surveys conducted since the start of the pandemic
(Regional) — Results from a new business impact survey issued to businesses located in North Central Massachusetts highlight the continued impacts to the local business community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey was conducted by the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the MassHire North Central Workforce Board, the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission, NewVue Communities and many of the cities and towns in North Central Massachusetts.
This new survey was the third in a series of surveys conducted by the Chamber since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first two surveys, conducted in March and October of 2020, provided critical information on the immediate impacts to businesses and insight on the support most needed by businesses to weather the economic challenges caused by the pandemic. The third survey was intended to collect fresh data and to evaluate the continuing impact of the pandemic to local businesses over time.
This survey was conducted online between April 1, 2021 and April 30, 2021 in both English and Spanish. One hundred and eighty-seven responses were received, representing businesses from all twenty-seven cities and towns located in North Central Massachusetts. Respondents reflected the top industries in the region including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, food and beverages, financial services, education and agriculture among others.
Q11: Approximately what percent change in gross business revenue did your business/organization experience in the first quarter of 2021, compared with the same period in 2020?
Fifty percent of the businesses and organizations reported losses in 2020 when compared to 2019, with nearly 20% reporting losses of 50% or more. This was a modest improvement over the previous survey in October, where nearly 64% reported losses. When asked about the first quarter of 2021, nearly 42% reported losses compared to the same period the previous year. Approximately 43% reported that they expect it will be more than six months before their operations return to a normal level versus 54% in the Fall survey. Nearly 17% of respondents estimated they could stay operational on current cash flow and reserves for six months or less; versus 25% in the previous survey conducted in the Fall. Thirty-eight percent of the businesses responded that they had difficulty getting employees to return to work citing health and safety concerns, current unemployment, child care and adult care as the top reasons. Some businesses noted falling behind on rent and other bills, while the vast majority reported increased costs due to additional sanitation or shifting operations online.
Over 56% of the respondents indicated that they were completely open, while 40% indicated that they were only partially open in a limited way and the remainder were still closed due to the pandemic. This represented a slight change over the Fall where 50% responded that they were completely open and 46% responded that they were open in a limited way. Of those closed, the majority responded that they were planning to reopen (76%) while the others reported that they were unsure if they would be able to reopen. For comparison, during the Fall survey 69% responded that they planned to reopen, 23% responded that they were unsure and 7.69% responded that they were closed for good.
Q22: How has the pandemic changed your business plan for the next year?
Financial programs to mitigate layoffs such as the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) was the top response when asked what businesses were using to
mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by reduction in expenses and grants from federal, state and local sources. Hiring, recruiting and retaining employees was the most requested resource when respondents were asked what resources, beyond financial assistance, would be most helpful. Communications, marketing, and social media to reach their customers was the second most requested resource. When asked how has the pandemic has changed their business plan for the next year, over 34% responded that they have no plans to change to their operations followed by “Not sure” as the next top response. Nearly 20% indicated that they plan to hire more employees and nearly 15% plan to expand their business in the next year. While the Fall survey indicated that nearly 76% of respondents indicated that the pandemic had some type of negative effect on their business/organization, the results showed a minor drop to slightly over 63% in the Spring survey.
“Despite the tremendous uncertainty, the survey results show that many businesses in the region continue to adapt to the challenges brought on by the pandemic.” said Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “The surveys we conducted have been very helpful in evaluating the impacts of the pandemic over time, and continue to inform our efforts to help support our businesses and communities.”
“The Covid-19 Economic Impact Survey conducted by the Chamber is a vital instrument that provides our region with information that we can utilize to collectively build a stronger region post pandemic,” said Jeff Roberge, Executive Director of the MassHire North Central Workforce Investment Board. “This information will help shape our workforce development efforts and strategies over the next several months”
“We’re proud to have worked alongside the North Central Massachusetts Chamber in this effort. These results will play a critical role in gauging the pandemic’s impact on local businesses, allowing us to identify challenges as we chart a path towards recovery. We look forward to continuing this partnership as we develop and implement solutions in the months ahead” said Glenn Eaton, Executive Director of The Montachusett Regional Planning Commission. “
“Thank you to the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce for leading the way on this survey, allowing us to gather important information about small business needs in our region,” said Marc Dohan, Executive Director of New Vue Communities. “In a continually changing environment, it has been critical to get this information over time from a broad range of businesses. The results will help us design effective strategies to support businesses and residents as we all recover from the pandemic.”
Although the survey results included large businesses, the vast majority of respondents would be considered small businesses by federal standards with less than 500 employees and gross revenues less than $10 million per year. More specifically, nearly 75% reported less than 20 full time employees and 58% reporting gross income of less than $1 million. The majority of the businesses that responded were also primarily established, existing businesses in the community with an average of 32 years of operations.
A complete copy of the report can be found on the Chamber’s website at www.NorthCentralMass.com.
Fore Then Pore: Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
The Woods of Westminster
Event Start at 1:00pm View
Event
Sponsors Reception: Old Mill
August 26, 2026
Thank you to all our sponsors who help sponsor this past 2025-2026 program year! We are truly honored by your continued support and efforts to continue to make our community thrive! View
Event
Join us to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 14, 2021, at 2:00 PM – online! Singer, storyteller, harper, and poet Kate Chadbourne is eager to welcome you virtually into her home to share heart-raising songs and tales that get you singing and smiling in this time when everyone, including YOU, is Irish.
Generously funded by the Robert L. Rice Memorial Concert Fund and the Rice Family.
Kate Chadbourne is a singer, harper, and storyteller, an award-winning songwriter and poet, a scholar and teacher of Irish language and folklore with a PhD from Harvard, and a beloved performer at venues throughout New England. She has been honored as a “tradition bearer” in the Revels Salon series and in the Gaelic Roots Concert Series at Boston College, and her music has been featured on NPR’s programs, “Cartalk” and “All Songs Considered.” She has released six solo CD’s, three collections of poetry, and has written two books to encourage and support artists, musicians, and creators. Named as one of “The Most Fascinating People” in Central Massachusetts by the Sentinel and Enterprise Newspaper, Kate is also the founder of The Bardic Academy, a school for writers, musicians, singers, and young scholars. She brings to her audiences the sounds of the harp, piano, tin whistle, Irish flute, and melodeon, a deep love and knowledge of traditional Irish story, a warm and welcoming presence, and a voice often described as “the voice of an angel.”
Please join Ukulele J (in partnership with the Fitchburg Youth Library and Strengthening Families) on February 18, 2021, at 6:00 PM for a fun and interactive virtual music program designed for pre-school children and their parents/caregivers. We’ll sing, dance, and march to a variety of traditional and original kid’s songs. Also, Kids can bring their favorite stuffed animal for a stuffed animal parade in the comfort of their own home! A good time is guaranteed!
Contact Deanna Wilbur at to register and receive a zoom link.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
This is a free program. For information about this or other Library programs call 978-829-1780 or visit our website: www.FitchburgPublicLibrary.org.
February 16, 2021 at 10:00 AM at the Youth Library Door
Pick up a bag of Legos and STEM Lego Challenge cards outside the Youth Library door on February 16, 2021, at 10:00 AM for Lego STEM Challenge! Complete a challenge and post of picture of it on the Fitchburg Youth Library Facebook page and you will be entered to win a 2007/2008 United States of America State Coin Collector’s Map complete with coins (quarters) representing each state.
This is a free program. For information about this or other Library programs call 978-829-1780 or visit our website: www.FitchburgPublicLibrary.org.
Member Spotlight
Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody
When the workday ends and the lights go down, Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody, Inc. gets to work. “We operate as our clients’ silent partner after business hours,” says Adam Paicos, of Templeton, who now serves as Director of Operations and oversees the company’s expansion into North Central MA. “We are not often seen, but we ensure facilities are clean, secure, and ready for business each day while serving as the eyes and ears for our clients when they are not on site.”
Discover local business stories through our Inside North Central Massachusetts Podcast series. Listen as Chamber members share their journeys, insights, and contributions to our thriving regional business community.
From Chamber events and ribbon cuttings to community celebrations and regional highlights, stay connected with what’s happening across North Central Massachusetts. Follow us on social media for the latest photos, updates, and stories.
Looking for your next opportunity? Explore current job openings from employers across North Central Massachusetts on our Jobs Board. Whether you’re starting a new career or making a change, you’ll find a variety of local positions available to help you take the next step.
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