UMass Donahue Institute

Through the establishment of the casino industry in Massachusetts, lawmakers provided avenues for the creation of new jobs, revenue, and economic growth in the state. The Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA) study, of which the Economic and Public Policy Research team at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (UMDI) is a part, strives to understand the impact of the casinos on the people and economy of the Commonwealth. This report analyzes the results of a survey administered by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission with incoming employees and profiles the workforce at MGM Springfield. The New Employee Survey was designed to gather a range of information on work-related characteristics of new employees that could not be collected from any other source. Over time, survey data from all three casinos will help workforce development providers and policymakers understand the demographic characteristics of the casino workforce, types of employees applying to work at the casinos, how much pre-employment experience employees have, the extent to which they receive training, and the number of employees drawn from the local labor supply.