Nearly 500K working-age adults in Massachusetts lack English skills, study finds

BOSTON (TND) — One-tenth of the Massachusetts workforce is limited in its ability to speak English, according to a report published Wednesday.

Roughly 480,000 working-age Massachusetts residents have limited English proficiency, a study conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth and the University of Massachusetts found.

The authors added that the estimates, which are informed by 2022 Census statistics, are likely lower than actual tallies due to high migration levels over the past two years.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency last year over the number of immigrant families needing shelter and government services. She has asked the federal government to help authorize the immigrants for work, arguing that doing so would address staffing shortages of employers in the state.

The governor has also urged people speaking other languages to enroll in English classes. Wednesday's report found that increasing language skills can help address worker shortages as other factors strain the state’s economy.

“Redoubling efforts to help this growing legion of LEP workers build English skills will provide a powerful antidote to labor shortages, which pose an increasing threat to our economy and quality of life as low birth rates, early retirements, and domestic outmigration reduce the state's workforce,” the authors wrote.

In January, Gov. Healey issued an executive order to ban state agencies from requiring college degrees in job applications except when it is “absolutely necessary." She argued it would increase the number of people applying for jobs.

“This Executive Order directs our administration to focus on applicants’ skills and experiences, rather than college credentials,” the governor wrote in a statement. “It will expand our applicant pool and help us build a more inclusive and skilled workforce than ever before.”

Lieutenant Gov. Kim Driscoll noted that the order would help address the state’s workforce issues.

“We have so many jobs across the state that need to be filled and we have qualified, talented workers who want them. We just need to lower the barriers to entry, which is exactly what this Executive Order aims to do,” she said.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.