Berkshire's Diverse Economy Means More Jobs
There was a time when the economy of the Berkshires was significantly impacted — for better and worse — by the operations and fluctuations of GE, Sprague and the other major industrial employers in the region.
Today, most of those large employers are a distant memory.
The local employment base is more diverse and individual companies do not have the same level of dominance.
That is one example of the changes that have occurred throughout the county since the 1980s and the loss of many of the region's large primary industrial employers.
A basic goal of economic and community revitalization since then has been to diversify the economy and provide a variety of job and career opportunities here. The advantage of this is that the region is better able to withstand the changing fortunes of individual employers.
However, it does make it more difficult to summarize the current condition of the overall economy.
"There is a broader diversity of jobs and employers, which is great," said Laura Brennan, executive director of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. "It's harder to topple a diverse economy. However, it is also more complex than having a handful of simple answers."
Brennan noted that one of the major issues in the previous report was the economic impact of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the actual shutdowns, the aftereffects included problems with supply chains, steep inflation, and other disruptions.
"For some reason we were hit hard and the effects were worse than most of the country," she said. "Back then we had 6.3 percent unemployment compared to the national average of 5.1."
Fortunately, she said, that is largely behind us. Over the last 24 months, for example, unemployment here averaged 4.4 percent, which is comparable to the national figures.
"At the worst point, all of Berkshire County was categorized as economically distressed compared to the U.S.," she said. "Now that is no longer true. A handful of communities are still in that category but overall the county has recovered. We've caught up and are in line with the rest of the country again."
In terms of numbers, the statistics and trends for the Berkshire economy and employment are basically positive, but there continue to be a mix of opportunities and challenges.
Among other findings in the CEDS, the 2024 per capita income for Berkshire County was $49,365, growing by 3.5 percent since 2023. This is higher than the United States per capita income of $44,673 although it is lower than the Massachusetts per capita income of $57,897 (which is not unexpected considering the high-powered economy of eastern Massachusetts).
Meanwhile, Berkshire County's median household income (the midpoint between the highest and lowest) is $76,013, a rise of $3,448 or 4.8 percent from $72,565 in 2023. However, the county trails behind the nation ($80,734) and Massachusetts ($103,960), but those also grew at slower rates of 2.8 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively.
Neighboring Bennington and Windham, Vt., and Franklin and Hampden counties now have median household incomes lower than Berkshire County.
In 2024, the top-paid sectors were utilities, information, finance and Insurance, and professional and technical services. Annual pay in the Information sector also increased. The lowest-paid sectors were accommodation and food services (although this is higher than the national average), arts, entertainment, recreation and retail trade.
Between 2024 and 2025, the Berkshire County labor force increased by 1,057 workers (1.7 percent) from 63,321 to 64,378 workers. However, this is 8,956 below the recent peak level of 73,334 workers in 2006.
Another report is the Berkshire Workforce Blueprint prepared by MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board (a partnership between Berkshire Training and Employment Program and the Massachusetts Division of Career Services. ) This regularly prepares and analyzes the labor market and outlines strategies and priorities.
This includes a list of sectors which have the strongest presence and most potential for job growth.
Among the top sectors in its 2025 list are: Health Care and Social Assistance; Hospitality and Culinary; Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering; Trades and Clean Energy; and Education and Childcare. Additional critical industries include Business and Finance; the Creative Economy, and Information Technology.
Specific jobs within these fields range from entry-level positions up to middle and upper management, as well as trades, technicians, and advanced specialist positions,
"Healthcare is the biggest sector, with many opportunities for jobs and training for advancement," said Bryana Bayly, industry manager at Mass Hire Berkshire Workforce Board. She noted that according to current data, employment levels are 13,043 total positions within this sector.
Specific positions include home health and personal care aides; nursing and medical assistants; nurses; community-health workers; emergency medical technicians; medical records specialists, and social workers and behavioral health specialists, among others.
"There is a very strong demand for workers," she said. "It also is possible to get an entry level job and receive training and certification to advance."
For example, she said, the Berkshire Career Center currently has a three-year grant program from the Commonwealth Corporation Partnership that provides training and certification in nursing and other fields that are free to eligible participants.
The advanced manufacturing and engineering sector is another prime industry here, with 3,386 jobs. This ranges from positions such as machinists, mechanics, inspectors, and civil, mechanical, electrical and computer hardware engineers, and advanced technology professionals, as well as managerial and administrative positions.
Bayly noted that manufacturing has changed from its traditional identity and is no longer as dominant in the region's economy as it once was.
"There's been a decrease in manufacturing employment levels compared to what it was before the 1980s and it's more technology driven now," she said. "However, there many great manufacturing companies here and it still offers many opportunities."
Basic skills are still applicable, she said, but there is a greater degree of specialization to meet the particular demands of the processes and products. Many positions involve familiarity with advanced technology. Manufacturing also extends from "hard goods" to fields such as biomedical products.
"It requires more advanced preparation but schools and other resources can provide the training," she said. "And employers are often willing to take people into entry positions and provide the training to learn the specific specialized skills to enable them to advance."
She added that manufacturing is also affected by a trend that opens up opportunities for young workers. "There's a high number of current workers in manufacturing who are at or nearing retirement age,'" she said. "That is creating a strong need for young workers to replace them."
With Berkshire County's prominent tourism sector, the fields of hospitality and food service are another sector that creates job opportunities. That field currently has 6,697 positions. These include jobs such waitstaff and other service workers; head chefs, cooks and other food preparation staff; managers of food services; general and operations managers; and bookkeepers, accountants, and auditing clerks.
This sector is often seen as temporary or fallback jobs, but they also offer career opportunities, said Bayley.
"It can be challenging because these jobs are often seasonal," she said. "The schedules can also be inconsistent and fluctuate from week to week. So individuals who want to go into that need financial preparation, and be able to manage their expenses to account for that."
At the same time, they do offer the potential to move into stable career positions including advancing into management.
"Employers prefer that people stay and they want to invest in their employees to make that possible," she said. In terms of the region's ability to retain young people, employment is not the only consideration."
One old stereotype that is less valid today is that there were two categories of young people in Berkshire County. One group stayed home and went directly into blue-collar trades after high school. Another group of young people, according to this generalization, left for college and then pursued careers elsewhere.
Also, with the increasingly complex economy and workplaces, the distinctions about school-to-work pathways have become less distinct. Many trades now require extensive training and education and certification, whether in college, on the job or in other venues.
"It's harder to walk out of high school and instantly get a good paying job today," noted Brennan. "That's why providing training opportunities and career preparation is so important."
At the same time, she pointed out, two prominent considerations and challenges for both employers and workers in the Berkshires are wages and quality of life. One of the basic characteristics of the Berkshires, the region's geographic location, is both an advantage and a challenge, she explained.
"Our identity as a rural area that has close proximity to large urban areas such as Boston, Albany and New York City gives us a great quality of life and is part of the appeal and attraction of the Berkshires," she said. "However it also means employers here have to compete with those metro areas for workers."
Wages and incomes in the Berkshires have long been lower than urban centers, but it has been less expensive to live here, she continued. That was a trade-off.
Employers could tell prospective employees that their salaries could go farther in Berkshire County because it is less expensive to live here. However, as living costs here have been going up, that is less of a selling point.
"As it becomes more expensive to live here, we lose that advantage," she said. "Housing, for example, has become much more expensive and that is a concern to anyone considering a move here."
She added that many local employers have a difficult time matching the wages found in urban areas.
"They would like to pay more, but that is difficult because of the costs associated with employment, such as healthcare," she said. She noted that is a dilemma that has to be solved by initiatives such as increasing the supply of housing to reduce its costs, as well other actions.
Looking forward, other issues will impact the Berkshires, as week as nationally, such as the impact of emerging AI technology and automation on jobs.
In general, Bayley and Brennan and others involved in regional community development say that while there continue to be specific problems and issues, the Berkshire are basically in a much improved position and the county has the resilience to meet current and future challenges.
They say one of the region's strongest assets is the spirit of collaboration that exists among area schools, colleges, governments, employers and BRPC and MassHIRE, 1Berkshire, the Berkshire Innovation Center and many other agencies and organizations. This enhances both overall strategies and specifics such as education, training and assistance to job hunters.
"We're seeing many firms doing really well here, and great examples of employers who are growing and want to stay in the Berkshires," said Brennan.
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