Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung told Boston Public Radio on Thursday economic forecasts from Moody's Analytics and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation put the state's economic reopening into July. According to a recent report issued by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, "economic re-engagement" may begin in the first week of July, but does not expect a full recovery of jobs until the last quarter of 2023.
 

Andrew Bagley with the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation says the organization predicts an ultimate 18% unemployment rate in the Bay State. Bagley says the expected V-shaped recovery now looks more like a W with damage from the virus — like job losses — worse than initially thought. "The criteria to re-open would require an awful lot of testing and contact tracing, neither of which we are very far along on," he said. "So those things are kind of troubling."

Launched by Massachusetts Governor Baker and First Lady Lauren Baker in partnership with the One8 Foundation, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund will serve essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations across the state facing homelessness, food insecurity and loss of critical services as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis.