What are high demand and/or the most in-demand jobs in Massachusetts?
To view and apply for available jobs, see MassHire JobQuest and/or contact your local MassHire Career Center.
DER's Monthly Job Posting Dashboard provides a monthly snapshot of in-demand job titles and skills based on online job posting data. Statistics are available for the state, by county, and by Workforce Development Area (WDA).
Another way to identify in demand or high demand jobs in Massachusetts is by using employment projections. Employment projections use current and historical data to project how various industries and occupations may grow or change overtime. Explore employment projections for Massachusetts and its regions.
I’m not sure where to start. What is Labor Market Information and how can I use it?
Labor Market Information (LMI) includes quantitative and qualitative data and analysis related to employment or the labor force, including information on jobs and people (employed and unemployed); occupations and industries; establishments and households; as well as wages and other factors that impact employment and/or the labor force.
LMI encourages data-driven decision making for a wide range of stakeholders and is important for understanding local and regional economies, efficient resource allocation, understanding compensation and wages, guiding policy and strategy, and more.
More information on how to use LMI can be found on DER’s Labor Market Information 101 page.
Can you provide a list of employers in my area and how many employees they have?
Most data published by DER is anonymized and does not include names of employers.
The exceptions are Largest Employers by Area (provides a list of employers and general size but does not include an exact employment count) and Find Employers by City and NAICS.
Largest Employers by Area provides a list of employers and general size but does not include an exact employment count. Find Employers by City and NAICS provides a list of employers and general size by industry and location but does not include an exact employment count.
These two data sets are contracted from a third-party called Data Axle, which is updated twice per year. The most recent update was completed in January 2026, and the next update is planned for July 2026. According to Data Axle: The purpose of the ARC Top Employers Database is solely for career exploration, job search, job development, employment support services, labor market research, and related public workforce system efforts. Please reach out to DL-Government-Support@data-axle.com if there is an interest in acquiring a separate dataset or interest in a separate data use case.
If you’re interested in understanding the number of workers in a specific area or industry but do not need actual employer names, consider Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage Data.
If you are interested in identifying top employers by region based on active online job postings, visit DER's Monthly Job Posting Dashboard.
Am I able to access individual-level Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims or wage data?
If you are looking to access your personal UI claim, please reach out to the Department of Unemployment Assistance. The Department of Economic Research (DER) publishes statistical labor market data and is unable to provide any information regarding individual unemployment insurance claims or individual wage records.
Aggregate information on initial and continued claims is available and updated each week.
Unemployment Insurance Claimant Profiles, demographic summaries of individuals receiving UI benefits, are also available state-wide and for Workforce Development Areas (WDAs).
How many people work in a certain industry in Massachusetts or a region within Massachusetts?
For the most accurate data on employment in different industries, consider Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage Data (QCEW). This data is updated each quarter though data cleaning and processing, which take time.
If you’re interested in the most recently available data, an alternative data source is Current Employment Statistics (CES). Please note that CES figures are modeled based on sample payroll data and are subject to annual revision.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also publishes Economic Summaries for Massachusetts and “at-a-glance" style reports for many topics, including industry breakdowns.
What’s the typical salary for an occupation or industry?
For average wage information by occupation and/or area, consider Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
For average wage information by specific industry and area, consider Quarterly Census of Employment and Wage Data.
For wage information by occupation and industry, consider Staffing Pattern Data. Staffing pattern data can serve as a crosswalk to provide an idea of what occupations are typically employed in different industries by area. Staffing Pattern Data also includes the education typically required for entry in a specific occupation.
What occupations and industries are expected to grow in my area?
The DER Employment Projections page can be used to identify projected change and trends in employment to provide an idea of what the future workforce may look like. This page includes interactive dashboards and data references to explore short- and long-term employment projections for occupations and industries in Massachusetts and Workforce Development Areas (WDAs).
What are the latest job postings in my area?
DER provides a one-month snapshot of current job posting data in the Massachusetts Job Posting Interactive Data Visual. Click through the tabs to see companies and industries hiring, job titles, and top job requirements like skills, education, experience, and qualifications. Please note this dashboard does not include links to actual job postings that you can apply for – for that type of search, consider MassHire JobQuest.
Why isn’t data available for a specific occupation or industry?
Data published by DER in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics is anonymized to protect the identification of respondents. Confidentiality measures include suppressing certain values and data points, especially for smaller geographies and sample sizes.
Additional information is available from BLS for different data sources:
Does DER offer internships?
DER does not currently offer internships or apprenticeships. All job opportunities at DER and with the Commonwealth are posted to MassCareers.