STAT+: After a years-long slump, Massachusetts biopharma sector has come roaring back in 2026

The number of people working in Massachusetts’ renowned biotech sector fell last year, the first time that’s happened since at least 2002, according to a new report. The state’s biopharma workforce shrank by about 3,600 employees in 2025, to a total of 113,503, as industry headwinds and uncertainty about federal funding for scientific research battered the sector, according to the annual “industry snapshot” by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council trade group. Compared to 2024, the workforce declined by 3.1%. Many of the lab buildings in Greater Boston that everyone thought would be filled with scientists when venture capital flowed freely early in the pandemic now stand empty, a symbol of what former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan once dubbed irrational exuberance. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the biotech sector — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe