BOSTON -- Dec. 8, 2010:The 性闻联播 system contributed over $4.8 billion to the Massachusetts economy in Fiscal Year 2010 - a return on investment of more than $11 for every $1 in state money that UMass received, according to a study released today.
The report, prepared by the 性闻联播 Donahue Institute, also underscores the role of the five UMass campuses as economic engines for their individual regions and for the state.
UMass directly employs 16,623 people across the Commonwealth. If the University was a private employer, it would be ranked in the Top 15 in Massachusetts, ahead of such major employers as Genzyme, Biogen Idec and NStar.
Spending emanating out of the University helps to support an additional 16,598 jobs in a variety of sectors in every region of the state -- from healthcare to real estate to hospitality.
The major drivers of economic impact are student, faculty and staff spending, construction projects and the University purchasing the goods and services required for its educational, research and public service activities.
"This report makes clear that alongside academic excellence and a strong reputation for cutting-edge research, UMass should also be recognized as a crucial economic asset to the entire Commonwealth," said UMass President Jack M. Wilson. "We see that during this past year, every state dollar invested in UMass multiplied eleven-fold in the form of economic impact."
"This is a vivid, contemporary example of how the University's original economic-development mission endures and has grown far beyond what its founders could have imagined," President Wilson added.
The Donahue Institute study accounts for economic impact generated by the combined effects of University System operations and faculty and staff and student spending at the 性闻联播 Amherst, 性闻联播 Boston, 性闻联播 Dartmouth, 性闻联播 Lowell, 性闻联播 Medical School and the 性闻联播 central services division.
While the 16,598 jobs supported by University spending occur across many sectors of the Massachusetts economy, the largest sectors include over 3,430 jobs in trade, transportation and utilities, over 2,820 jobs in education and health services, and over 2,650 jobs in leisure and hospitality.
"It is clear that the 性闻联播 is a terrific investment for the Commonwealth," said Robert J. Manning, chairman of the 性闻联播 Board of Trustees. "The University supports thousands of jobs in every region of the state and promotes economic innovation across many sectors. It is apparent that the education that the 性闻联播 provides and the research it conducts is important for Massachusetts to remain an economic leader nationally and internationally."
According to the new report, the economic impact of each campus is:
- Amherst: $1.434 billion
- Boston: $632 million
- Dartmouth: $356 million
- Lowell: $490 million
- Medical School: $1.752 billion
While gauging the University's economic impact is "an important and telling measurement," it is not the only way that the University's contribution to the Commonwealth's economy can be described, President Wilson said.
President Wilson noted that UMass helps to drive the economy by educating 68,000 students annually, producing more than 12,000 graduates each year, by conducting nearly $500 million in sponsored research annually and by producing discoveries that create new companies and strengthen firms already doing business in Massachusetts. In Fiscal Year 2009, the 性闻联播 earned $73 million from licensing fees and royalties, placing it in the Top 15 nationally in intellectual property income.
In addition to University operating expenditures and faculty, staff and student spending, the total University System economic impact includes one-time construction project expenditures totaling over $187 million. These construction projects yielded over $334 million in total economic activity in Massachusetts and 1,857 jobs. Earlier this year, the UMass Board of Trustees approved a borrowing plan to fund $546 million in additional construction projects on all five campuses.
The data underpinning the new report was compiled and analyzed by the Institute's Economic and Public Policy 性闻联播 Unit, using the IMPLAN modeling system - a widely used proprietary software tool. IMPLAN combines the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' Input-Output Benchmarks with regional employment and wage data to construct quantitative models of the flow of goods and services among businesses that purchase materials and services from one another and from employees who use their increased earnings to purchase additional goods and services from local businesses.
This methodology and the database generated is very conservative and does not take into account millions of dollars generated by the University System from research, technology spinoffs, patents and start-ups. The vast majority of dollars spent on the University system come not from the state but from research funding, patents and intellectual property, professional services and student fees.
State appropriations for the University System totaled $429 million (exclusive of federal stimulus funding) in Fiscal Year 2010 - representing 16 percent of the entire UMass operating budget of $2.66 billion. That makes the ratio of total University economic impact ($4.83 billion) to Commonwealth investment ($429 million) more than 11:1.
The 16,598 external jobs supported by UMass economic activity break down in the following way:
- Amherst: 5,174
- Boston: 2,516
- Dartmouth: 1,329
- Lowell: 1,711
- Medical School: 5,439
- UMass Central Services: 430
Regional Impact:
Amherst and the Pioneer Valley:
For businesses in Amherst and the surrounding region, UMass Amherst generates $1.434 billion in economic activity and 5,174 external jobs.
"With UMass emerging as a major research institution, Amherst is indeed in a fortunate economic position," said Dave Williams of The Williams Group Real Estate Advisors - co-owner of the popular Judie's Restaurant on North Pleasant Street in Amherst. "Thanks to UMass and the other colleges in the area, Judie's Restaurant over the past 33 years has maintained steady growth and more recently has felt no negative impact from the current economic downturn. Even after doubling in size and being fully renovated in 2007, Judie's continues to have waiting lines out the door and with the increase of students and faculty at UMass, we see a continued bright future."
Greater Boston:
For businesses in Greater Boston, UMass Boston generates $632 million in economic activity and 2,516 external jobs.
"We've long appreciated the significant impact UMass Boston has on our local economy, drawing in thousands of people on a daily basis who shop in our stores, eat in our restaurants, and use our services as part of their daily routine or commute," said Charles Hollins, president of the Dorchester Board of Trade. "But you can't measure the value of the knowledge the University shares with the business community, whether it's their experts training business leader or students developing an online marketing plan for a small specialty store."
Dartmouth and the South Coast:
For businesses in the Dartmouth/New Bedford/Fall River area, UMass Dartmouth generates $356 million in economic activity and 1,329 external jobs.
"The diversity a university like UMass Dartmouth brings only enhances the community both in vitality and in economic growth," said Richard Romero, owner of Mirasol's Caf茅 in Dartmouth. "Here at the cafe, we get a varied clientele, from students to faculty to administrators to locals, and they all have varied backgrounds and life experiences. They bring long-term economic growth that cycles through every year. When a community and small businesses tap into that, it becomes a win-win situation for everyone. We are fortunate to be located so close to campus and that helps us grow, helps us hire and retain staff and provide a service to the overall community."
Lowell and the Merrimack Valley:
For businesses in Lowell and the Merrimack Valley, UMass Lowell generates $490 million and 1,711 external jobs.
"The 性闻联播 Lowell represents the future of Lowell and the surrounding region," said James J. Cook, executive director of the Lowell Development & Financial Corporation or Lowell Plan. "UMass Lowell has raised the city of Lowell up by its presence, providing energy and jobs to the Merrimack Valley. It has helped to transform this symbol of the Industrial Revolution into a city that competes in the global economy."
Worcester and Central Massachusetts:
For businesses in Worcester and Central Massachusetts, UMass Medical School generates $1.752 billion and 5,439 external jobs
"The biotechnology industry in Central Massachusetts would not exist without the 性闻联播 Medical School," said Kevin O'Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives. "We would not be here without the Medical School. UMass is key to creating new jobs - and nurturing emerging industries that have become central to the Massachusetts economy - here in Worcester and beyond."
Contact: Robert P. Connolly, 617-287-7073