Boston & New England | May 4, 2020

Business Group Sees Slow Restart for Massachusetts Economy

Safely resuscitating Massachusetts’ economy following the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be a painfully slow process and require a gradual return to the workplace.

That’s the top-line conclusion of a report from the Massachusetts High Technology Council, which envisions mandatory face masks, social distancing and an expansion of state testing that could cost $720 million a year, the Boston Globe reported.

“It’s going to be a while before we get back to normal,” Bain Capital co-chairman Stephen Pagliuca Friday said during an online presentation of the report’s finding to business leaders.

The presentation coincided with Gov. Charlie Baker’s issue of an order that face masks be worn in public. Rates of new infections and deaths from COVID-19 have remained stubbornly high in Massachusetts, reported the Globe.

The report recommends that companies bring back workers in phases, based on age and industry, with white-collar employees who can work remotely, returning last.

Get CRE News in 150 words

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Paul Bubny

Connect

Inside The Story

About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 13-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 15-20 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

Order Reprints