Mass. Life Sciences Job Losses Mount Despite Big Incentive Promises

Seventeen life sciences companies awarded Massachusetts tax incentives to create 426 jobs between 2021 and 2025 collectively added only 41 net new jobs by December 31, 2025, according to Biospace. A stark discrepancy between promised and actual job creation signals a significant challenge for the state’s biotech sector. Massachusetts life sciences jobs declined 1% in 2025, falling from 144,669 in 2024 to 143,224, as reported by Biospace.

Massachusetts has heavily invested in life sciences through tax incentives, yet these investments are not yielding the promised job growth. Many companies are terminating awards or reporting layoffs, creating tension between state policy and economic reality. The decline in overall employment numbers further complicates the picture.

Based on the widespread underperformance of job creation targets and increasing layoffs, Massachusetts' life sciences sector appears to be entering a period of contraction and consolidation, challenging its long-held status as a growth engine. Public investment strategies are failing to stabilize the workforce.

Key Statistics on Massachusetts Life Sciences Employment

• 41 — net new jobs added by 17 life sciences companies with tax incentives, compared to 426 promised, according to Biospace.
• 1% — decline in Massachusetts life sciences jobs in 2025.
• 143,224 — life sciences jobs in Massachusetts in 2025.
• 144,669 — life sciences jobs in Massachusetts in 2024.
• Less than 10% — of promised job creation delivered by the state's tax incentive program.
• Three — companies (Novartis, Prime Medicine, TScan) reported layoffs after voluntarily terminating their state tax incentive awards.
• 125 — positions Dicerna Pharmaceuticals failed to add across two tax incentive awards, with only 30 net new jobs for one award and no net increase for the second, according to Biospace.

The Promise vs. The Reality: Incentive Programs Underperform

Three companies, KARL STORZ Endovision, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, and PathAI, voluntarily terminated their tax incentive awards. State incentives were either insufficient to prevent strategic shifts or became burdensome for firms, as indicated by these terminations. Dicerna Pharmaceuticals failed to add 125 positions across two tax incentive awards, with only 30 net new jobs added for one award and no net increase for the second, according to Biospace.

Prime Medicine was expected to add 50 positions in Boston in 2023 but had no net headcount increase by the end of last year, Biospace reported. Furthermore, three companies on the terminations list—Novartis, Prime Medicine, and TScan—had reported layoffs in the previous year. State investments are not translating into the intended employment expansion, demonstrating a systemic issue.

Based on Biospace's data, Massachusetts' life sciences tax incentive program is a fiscal illusion, having delivered less than 10% of its promised job creation and failing to prevent a sector-wide employment decline. The widespread termination of tax incentive awards by companies like Novartis and Prime Medicine, as reported by Biospace, signals that state subsidies are not just inefficient but are actively failing to retain even existing jobs, let alone create new ones.

Source: Biospace, Career and Company analysis

Why are Life Sciences Incentives Falling Short?

Companies that voluntarily terminated their state tax incentive awards, such as Novartis, Prime Medicine, and TScan, simultaneously reported layoffs. The incentives failed to stabilize employment and may even be associated with a broader strategic retreat. The state's tax incentive program is designed to create jobs, with 426 jobs promised by 17 companies.

However, these same companies only added 41 net new jobs. The policy's stated objective is dramatically misaligned with its real-world impact, indicating a profound failure in execution or underlying assumptions. The state's tax incentive program for life sciences is performing at less than 10% of its promised job creation, indicating a fundamental flaw in its design or implementation, not just a minor economic fluctuation.

Despite significant state investment through tax incentives, the Massachusetts life sciences sector experienced a net job decline. Public funds are not only failing to stimulate growth but are also insufficient to offset broader economic headwinds or company-specific struggles. Companies like Dicerna Pharmaceuticals and Prime Medicine, which failed to meet job creation targets despite receiving tax incentives, reveal a systemic flaw where public funds are being allocated without sufficient accountability for actual employment outcomes.

The Human Cost: Widespread Layoffs Across the Sector

Cardinal Health in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, will lay off 58 employees on June 30, according to the Boston Herald. Job cuts affect individuals directly, reflecting a challenging period for the state’s life sciences workforce. Azurity Pharmaceuticals and Kovalus Separation Solutions collectively laid off 155 employees last fall in Wilmington, further illustrating the widespread impact.

Curia Global announced layoffs of 81 employees through the end of May in Burlington, the Boston Herald reported. The prevalence of these specific layoffs, even among diverse life sciences companies, underscores a challenging economic climate directly impacting the workforce and local communities. These reductions contribute to the overall decline in Massachusetts life sciences employment.

Future Outlook for Massachusetts Biotech Employment

Massachusetts' strategy of relying on tax incentives for job growth in life sciences requires re-evaluation.

• The state's tax incentive program for life sciences is performing at less than 10% of its promised job creation.
• Despite significant state investment through tax incentives, the Massachusetts life sciences sector experienced a net job decline.
• Companies like Dicerna Pharmaceuticals and Prime Medicine, which failed to meet job creation targets despite receiving tax incentives, reveal a systemic flaw where public funds are being allocated without sufficient accountability for actual employment outcomes.

Public funds allocated without sufficient accountability for actual employment outcomes lead to reduced opportunities for life sciences professionals and challenge the state's reputation. The current approach is failing to stimulate the intended growth or retain existing positions, necessitating a shift in policy focus towards more effective job retention and creation strategies.

Key Insights on Sector Performance

• Seventeen life sciences companies added only 41 net new jobs against a promise of 426.
• Massachusetts life sciences jobs declined 1% in 2025.
• The state's tax incentive program delivered less than 10% of its promised job creation.
• Three companies (Novartis, Prime Medicine, TScan) terminated awards after reporting layoffs.

By Q3 2026, the state will need to present revised employment growth strategies for the life sciences sector. The current approach, as evidenced by Prime Medicine's failure to add 50 promised positions by late last year, is not delivering the expected results for public investment or the workforce.