Report: Federal Cuts Could Have Serious Impact On Mass. Economy

Massachusetts could lose tens of thousands of jobs as a result of federal budget cuts slated to take effect next year, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts.

The Donahue Institute researchers say the state could lose more than 52,000 jobs over the next 10 years in areas including health care, defense and professional services.

"It looks, in a way, trivial as compared to our total jobs in the state of over 3 million," said UMass Amherst economics professor Robert Nakosteen. "But it's a target of impact that comes at the heart of our high-tech economy.

"It would have an impact on people's lives, especially in the eastern part of the state where much of this contract and grant money goes," he said. "These are high-paying jobs on the order of $90,000 a year and above with benefits, so the impact would be fairly serious."

Several lawmakers are fighting the more than $1 trillion cuts.