Construction and Manufacturing Employers Are Managing More Than a Renewal
Labor, healthcare costs, pay transparency, safety, and communication are pulling on the same rope. Here is the real picture, in plain language.
Skilled Labor Is Hard to Find
92% of construction companies reported difficulty hiring for open positions, 88% had openings for key craft roles, and 45% reported project delays due to worker shortages, per the AGC/NCCER 2025 Workforce Survey.
More than 70% of surveyed Massachusetts manufacturers reported struggling to recruit and retain workers, per MassMEP’s 2025 Voice of the Manufacturer report.
Sources: AGC/NCCER 2025 Workforce Survey; MassMEP 2025 Voice of the Manufacturer.
Healthcare Costs Are Rising
Massachusetts’ Division of Insurance 2027 merged-market filings show a proposed weighted average premium increase of 12.9%, still subject to final DOI decision. CHIA’s March 2026 Annual Report shows total statewide healthcare expenditures reached $83.3 billion in 2024, up 5.7% — exceeding the state cost-growth benchmark for a fourth consecutive year.
Sources: Massachusetts Division of Insurance 2027 rate filings; CHIA March 2026 Annual Report.
Pay Is More Transparent
Massachusetts employers with 25 or more employees must disclose wage ranges in job postings, to applicants, and to current employees upon request, starting October 29, 2025. Employers with 100 or more employees subject to federal filing requirements began workforce demographic data reporting February 1, 2025.
Source: Mass.gov, Pay Transparency in Massachusetts.
Safety and Absence Matter
Massachusetts’ SafetyWorks program offers free, confidential safety consultation and training grants. OSHA separately maintains and publishes inspection, citation, injury/illness, and fatality data that employers can use to understand enforcement themes.
Sources: Mass.gov SafetyWorks; OSHA.gov data resources.
Benefits Need to Be Understood
Field workers, shift workers, and production teams often do not engage with long benefits PDFs. Employers who use short employee playbooks, text-friendly reminders, QR codes, short videos, and plain-language plan navigation see better plan understanding and utilization.
See how these pressures connect to your renewal
Cost Trends & Market Reality breaks down exactly why Massachusetts rates are moving the way they are.