2026 495/MetroWest Employer Survey
The 495/MetroWest Partnership has released results from its 2026 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). Conducted for the 13th year running in 2026, this survey has proven an important tool in gauging business confidence in the 495/MetroWest region. The survey focuses on employers with physical plants located in the 495/MetroWest region, defined as the 37 cities and towns served by the 495/MetroWest Partnership. Owners, leaders, or individuals with regional hiring authority for private, public, or nongovernmental organizations that have a presence in the 495/MetroWest region were invited to take part.
The survey was conducted online during April 2026. 264 total respondents took part, a 27% increase in participation over the 2025 survey.
Click here to access the survey analysis.
Key takeaways from the survey:
- 17% of respondents feel business conditions in 495/MetroWest are better than they were a year ago, with 62% feeling they are about the same and 21% feeling conditions are worse. This largely reflects the results from the prior year's survey.
- 31% of respondents feel the economy in the 495/MetroWest region will improve over the coming year, while 37% expect conditions to remain the same and 32% expect a decline. This represents positive movement over last year’s survey, when only 26% expected improvement and 46% expected a decline.
- 60% of respondents expect their organization’s revenues to improve this year over the previous year. 16% expect a decline, while 25% expect about the same revenue performance. This represents a substantial shift from 2025, when less than half (49%) of respondents expected their revenues to improve.
- 42% of total employers taking the survey expect to grow their workforce in the 495/MetroWest region over the course of the coming year, up from 38% last year. Less than 3% are contemplating a staffing reduction. 30% are not intending to make any changes in staffing levels, with 26% unsure.
- 60% of total respondents said they haven’t encountered any hiring difficulties this year, however on this question responses varied between small and large employers. While only 32% of small employers (under 50 employees) reported struggling to hire staff, 56% of larger employers reported difficulties. This split between large and small employers was also seen in 2025.
- Inflation and hiring were the chief concerns this year for 495/MetroWest employers, while government regulations and tariffs continue to be other areas of worry.
- 66% said that inflation had negatively impacted the profitability of their business; 20% said it had not, while 7% said they had a positive effect.
- 43% of survey respondents are concerned that tariffs at the federal level will negatively impact the profitability of their business, while 3% believed they will positively impact their business. 43% stated that tariffs will have no impact on their business, while 11% were unsure.
- 85% of respondents stated that they are not currently considering replacing staff with AI, while 6% said they are. 9% said they are not sure.
Click here to access the survey analysis. To access the full results, click here.
To review past 495/MetroWest Employer Survey Data, click the respective links below:
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Executive Director Jason Palitsch via email at [email protected].
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