The nonprofit sector in Massachusetts is among the largest in the country and has experienced significantly more employment and job growth than other sectors of the state's economy, a new report from the Boston-based Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth finds.

According to the report, The Massachusetts Nonprofit Sector: An Economic Profile, which was co-sponsored by the Mellon Charitable Giving Program/Alice P. Chase Trust and the Boston Foundation, the nonprofit workforce in the Bay State grew by 9 percent between 2000 and 2003, a period when overall employment declined by 4 percent across the state. Moreover, nonprofit organizations currently employ more than 420,000 people in the state, accounting for over 13 percent of its workforce, nearly twice the national average. In fact, workers in the sector now outnumber those in traditional Massachusetts industries such as manufacturing, retail, and finance, as well as all those employed by local, state, and federal agencies combined.

"As this report clearly illustrates, nonprofits play an essential role in our region's economy," said Boston Foundation president and CEO Paul S. Grogan. "However, they also face special challenges, and they deserve the public's recognition and support so that they can continue in their vital role."

To read or download a complete copy of the report (38 pages, PDF), visit: http://www.massinc.org/handler.cfm?type=2&target=
mass_nonprofit/mass_nonprofit.pdf.