Boston Residents Hold at 21 Percent of Construction Hours Despite 51 Percent Policy Goal

BOSTON — April 18, 2025 — Boston construction jobs policy compliance stuck at 21 percent, far short of 51 percent target. The City Council Committee on Labor, Workforce, and Economic Development, chaired by Councilor Benjamin J. Weber, heard Friday that Boston residents account for just 21 percent of covered construction work hours across approximately 5 million hours logged in the most recent six-month period — less than half the Boston Residents' Jobs Policy's 51 percent mandate. Senior Data Analyst Michael Endale presented economic modeling showing the compliance gap translates to roughly 3 million missed work hours annually, costing residents between $177 million and $216 million in potential earnings depending on scenario assumptions. Deputy Chief Jody Sugarman-Brasen confirmed the city can levy fines of up to $300 per day only for administrative violations, not for failing to meet the percentage goals themselves, leaving enforcement "tied" on the core workforce targets. IBEW Local 103 DEI Coordinator Joseph Pierre reported that more than 50 percent of new apprenticeship class members have been women or people of color for each of the past three years, and Iron Workers Local 7 President Frank Murray endorsed a proposed contractor scoring rubric that Sugarman-Brasen said is being studied as a tool to tie BRJP performance to future city contract awards.