The Massachusetts birth rate dropped even more dramatically then than in other states, and its high cost of living hasn't helped to keep younger workers around. The work force grew 14 percent from 1991 to 2000, he said, more than making up for the 7 percent loss between 1989 and 1991. A fair share of immigration is inaccurately tracked, he said, because immigration officials only record an ''intended'' destination. Sum estimates that as many as 100,000 more immigrants came to Massachusetts in the 1990s than is claimed in immigration data. They include Hispanic, Asian, and Central American workers.
Some employers offer classes partially during paid hours.
Sum said integration of adult education and job training is also needed for immigrants. Classroom programs aren't always well connected with job training, he said, and newcomers don't find the resources they need to be successful. Current training for older people returning to the work force is also inadequate, he said, enhancing workers' fears of being obsolete. Sum called for a system overhaul ''to deal with the demands of the new decade.'' Retaining older workers avoids new demands on infrastructure, Sum pointed out. Workers arriving from other states or nations require new houses and cars, in towns that are trying to save open space and contain traffic congestion.