Slots Parlor in Tewksbury? - A Look at Job Creation

In this post, we take a look at job creation that Penn National Gaming says a slots parlor would bring to Tewksbury.

Penn National Gaming says they will create: “More than 500 permanent jobs and 1,000 direct and in-direct construction related jobs.”

When we look at facts about casino related job creation, we find:

• Low Skill Jobs:  In general, casino jobs are low-skills and not high-wage, high-growth opportunities, with 85% of jobs paying less than $37,000 per year.  Many will be part-time jobs. 1
• Low Paying Jobs:  According to a study prepared by Spectrum Gaming Group for Governor Patrick in 2008, the average compensation level for casino workers in Massachusetts would be $27,417, with benefits $35,641. 1
• Loss of Area Income:  The IRS records in 2007 show that the New London County (Foxwood/Mohegan Sun region), even with all the new jobs created, sustained a loss of 2,000 people and $62 million worth of income that year. 2
• Jobs Not Suited to Our Students:  Casinos do not provide the kinds of jobs our high school graduates typically seek.  The class of 2013 saw 86% of graduating seniors attending college. 3  The majority of casino labor force (estim. 56%) have not attended college, one third (estim. 33%) have attended some college, and only 11% have a college degree. 4
• Not the Types of Jobs We Want/Need:  Our community welcomes opportunities that promote high-skills, high-wage and high-growth jobs, i.e., high-tech or life-science industries where jobs pay an average of $76,000 – $82,000 per year.5

With the new legislation, casino and construction jobs are coming to Massachusetts regardless of where casinos are built.   Why not look for the right kind of development for the Ames Pond parcel that does not bring financial, environmental, and social burdens to the community?

1Mass. Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development http://www.mass.gov/lwd/, and Bureau of Labor Statistics http://data.bls.gov

2 Gambling in Connecticut: Analyzing the Economic and Social Impacts, Spectrum Gaming Group, 2009, (p. 124 average Foxwoods and Mohegan), (p.199), (p.13), (p.14), (p.210, p.215-218), (p.195 Figure 114) & (p.233) http://tinyurl.com/6v4dh45

3 Tewksbury High School, School Profile http://www.tewksbury.k12.ma.us/files/filesystem/Profile%202012-13.pdf

4 http://scholarworks.umb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=lrc_pubs (p.3)

5 http://www.simplyhired.com/a/salary/search/q-high+tech/l-MA. High tech $82,000/life science $71,000.