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Goals
Indicator Measures
How are we doing?
ICON- Goal 3.1 Maintaining the Region’s Competitive Edge ICON - Indicator 3.1.1 Share of young knowledge workers Metro Boston versus other regions Boston in 2000 had about 30% of 20–34 year-olds but lost 8% of this population between 1990 and 2000, while Austin gained them by 30% and Raleigh by 20%.
ICON - Indicator 3.1.2 Innovation capacity measured by patents per capita In 2001, about 3,972 patents were granted to Massachusetts’ innovators or about 62 patents per 100,000 residents.

ICON- Goal 3.2 Infrastructure to Support the Knowledge Economy ICON - Indicator 3.2.1 Level of Research & Development funding In 2000, Massachusetts attracted the highest share of R&D funds among all states — $348 per 1,000 people or over $4 billion in total.
ICON - Indicator 3.2.2 Share of the nation’s venture capital investment In 2001, only $4.86 billion in VC was invested in Massachusetts, a drop of nearly 50%, after a peak of $10 billion in 2000.
ICON - Indicator 3.2.3 Funding for higher education In 2000, Massachusetts ranked 39th in state appropriations ($185.4 per capita) for public higher education and 14th for state spending ($16.73 per capita) on student aid.

ICON- Goal 3.3 Economic Strength and Resilience ICON - Indicator 3.3.1 Employment by industry sector In 2002, the city lost almost 5,000 jobs to bring it down to a total of 683,584 jobs.
ICON - Indicator 3.3.2 Unemployment rate Unemployment rate in Boston rose from 2.9% in 2000 to 4.9% by mid 2002.  The Metro rate at 4.1% continues to be lower than the citywide average but is also rising.
ICON - Indicator 3.3.3 Strong office and hotel markets Boston’s office vacancy rate increased to 9.3% in 4th quarter 2002.  Its near maximum hotel occupancy (78.6%) in 2000, is currently down due to the economy.

ICON- Goal 3.4 Affordable Cost of Living ICON - Indicator 3.4.1 Median household income adjusted by cost of living Metro Boston’s 2001 median household income of $52,792 is equivalent to $38,691 after adjustments for cost of living.
  ICON - Indicator 3.4.2 Family Self Sufficiency Standard Data updates not available at this time.
  ICON - Indicator 3.4.3 Families and children living in poverty The number of families in poverty increased very slightly over the 1990s from 17,598 to 17,982, lifting the poverty rate to 15.3%.

ICON- Goal 3.5 Skilled Workforce ICON - Indicator 3.5.1 Educational attainment in Boston and metro region In 2000, 36 % of Boston residents and 40% of Metro Boston residents, held a Bachelor’s degree or more. Competition is catching up.
  ICON - Indicator 3.5.2 Job training, adult education and English language skills As of May 2002, the MA Department of Education reported a total of 19,103 people on waiting lists for adult basic education and English language skills.

ICON- Goal 3.6 Economic Equity ICON - Indicator 3.6.1 Income disparities between top and bottom quintile of population — the GINI Index The GINI Index for Boston has been increasing over the past 40 years.  In 1960, the index stood at 0.335, but by 2000 it had climbed to 0.481.
  ICON - Indicator 3.6.2 Income by race, educational attainment, neighborhood In 1999 the citywide median income was $39,629. It was $47,668 for white non-Latinos, $30,447 for blacks, $27,963 for Asians, and $27,141 for Latinos.
  ICON - Indicator 3.6.3 Unemployment by race and by neighborhood In 2000, unemployment rates for blacks and Latinos were higher than the citywide average of 4.8% and lower for Asians and whites.

ICON- Goal 3.7 Economic Mobility and Opportunity ICON - Indicator 3.7.1 Number of Associates degrees granted In 2001, enrollment in Massachusetts Community College was 112,806 students, almost 2,500 less than 1992 figures.
 
 
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