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Cambridge Business and Labor Force Data

Note that data found in the following tables comes from a variety of sources. Data sets that do not share the same source should not be compared or compared with caution due to differing data collection techniques.

Biotechnology, High Tech and Clean Energy Companies

The Economic Development Division maintains a listing and map of Cambridge companies working in the life sciences, high tech, and clean energy sectors. The listing is not intended as a comprehensive source for businesses information. The data is sourced from news items, real estate industry market reports and industry associations, such as MassBIO and New England Clean Energy Council. 

• Company Listing (open data portal)
• Company Map (open data portal)

Business District Customer Intercept Surveys

Every year the Economic Development Division undertakes a customer intercept survey in one of the City's business districts. In 2018 the survey format changed, so more recent data are collected in a separate table:

• Commercial District Customer Intercept Survey Responses - Updated - Includes survey data from 2018 to present (Open Data Portal)
• Commercial District Customer Intercept Survey Responses - Historical - Includes survey data from 2009 through 2019 (Open Data Portal)

To learn more about a specific customer intercept survey visit the the Commercial Districts pages.

Business Diversity Directory

The Cambridge Business Diversity Directory lists local businesses and entities owned by women or minorities, including people of color, LGBTQ+ owners, veterans, persons with disabilities, and business owners of Portuguese decent. These categories align with the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office, which certifies diverse businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Businesses and entities do not need to be state certified to be listed in the Cambridge Business Diversity Directory. The Cambridge Business Diversity Directory now non-profit entities offering goods and services for a fee to the public.  The Directory membership list is available as open data.  A data portal app is forthcoming

• Diversity Directory Listing (open data portal)

Economic Census of Businesses

Every fifth year the U. S. Census Bureau conducts the Economic Census of the United States, which collects detailed data on Cambridge businesses. Source: U. S. Census Bureau.

• 1982 - 2002 Economic Census Cambridge Tables 
• 1982  
• 1987 
• 1992 
• 1997 
• 2002 
• 2007, 2012 & 2017 Economic Census Tables are available through the U. S. Census Bureau's data.census.gov website. To narrow your search to Economic Census data sets, first search for Cambridge using the "Economic Place" level of geography. 

Labor Force Size and Unemployment Rate

Information about Cambridge residents who work, regardless of the location of their place of employment. Source: Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

• Resident Unemployment Rate and Resident Labor Force Labor Force - Includes workers covered by unemployment insurance system (open data portal) 

Non-Profit Corporations

Organizations qualify as non-profits if they have IRS recognition of tax-exempt status. Certain types of public charities, such as churches and organizations with less than $5,000 in gross receipts, are not required to file for official 501(c)(3) status.  Source: IRS data recompiled and released by the National Center for Charitable Statistics Data Archive.

• Cambridge Non-Profit Corporations (Open Data Portal)
• Cambridge Non-Profits Dashboard summarizes and compares data about non-profit corporations located in Cambridge

Top 25 Employers

Information about larger employers in Cambridge. The most recent table includes links to the employment web sites of these organizations. Source: Cambridge Community Development Department.

• Current Top 25 Employer Listing
• Top 25 Employer Listing 1995 to Present (Open Data Portal)

Employer Applications for Cambridge-Based Foreign Workers

Employers seeking to employ foreign nationals who do not already hold a visa allowing them to work in the United States have several options for gaining legal status for such employees. Two of the most used programs by employers for Cambridge-based positions are the Labor Condition Application (LCA) program, covering the H1-B,  H-1B1 and E-3 visa categories, and the permanent labor certification (PERM) program. This dataset and accompanying dashboard provide access to data about employer applications for Cambridge-based positions under both programs.  Source: United States Department of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) Program Performance Data.

• Permanent (PERM) and Labor Condition Application (H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3) Visa Programs Applications (Open Data Portal)
• Employer Applications for Cambridge-Based Foreign Workers Dashboard

Workforce

Information about all those who work in Cambridge, regardless of place of residence. Source: Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

• Cambridge Workforce by Industry 1967 - 2002 - SIC Classification (Open Data Portal)
• Cambridge Workforce by Industry 2001 - 2021 - NAICS Classification (Open Data Portal)
• Historic Cambridge Workforce Data Sets for Download 1993 - 2010

For More Information

For more information about socioeconomic and demographic statistics about Cambridge, please contact Scott Walker, swalker@cambridgema.gov, Senior Manager for Data Services, at 617-349-4656.