As Federal Food Aid Faces Cuts, New UMass Amherst Labor Center Report Shows Nearly Half a Million Massachusetts Workers Rely on SNAP

Source: UMass News and Media

With the federal government reopened after a weeks-long shutdown that disrupted food assistance across the country, a new University of Massachusetts Amherst Labor Center working paper shows that more than 1 in 10 workers in Massachusetts depend on benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed themselves and their families. Even with funding for SNAP restored, new restrictions could strip benefits from millions of working Americans.

The report finds that 10.8% of all Massachusetts workers—nearly 481,000 people—live in households receiving SNAP.

“SNAP provides a crucial safety net for workers in precarious and low-wage jobs,” says report co-author Jasmine Kerrissey, Labor Center director and Professor of Sociology at UMass Amherst. “The suspension of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown highlighted the fact that significant numbers of workers are not paid enough to afford adequate food for their families.”

The study comes as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” enacted earlier this year by the Trump administration, faces legal challenges in federal court. The law expands SNAP work requirements to include people up to age 64 and removes exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness and young adults aging out of foster care. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the changes will cut off benefits to an average of 2.4 million people each month over the next decade.

In Massachusetts, the impact could be especially sharp. According to the report:

• About 347,000 private-sector workers—nearly 12% of that workforce—use SNAP.
  
• Retail and health care are the largest SNAP-employing industries, together accounting for 29% of all SNAP workers in the state.
  
• More than one-third of personal care assistants and home health aides—two of the fastest-growing occupations—receive SNAP benefits.

• Over 1 in 5 cashiers, janitors, cooks and stockers rely on the program.

• Several counties have disproportionately high rates of SNAP workers, including Hampden (19.0%) and Bristol (14.8%) counties.
  

The report also identifies top employers of SNAP recipients, including major brands like Dunkin’, Walmart, Stop & Shop, TJ Maxx and CVS. Some of these same corporations are also SNAP retailers, meaning they profit twice from federal nutrition funds—first through subsidized low wages and again through food purchases made with SNAP.

“These findings highlight the importance of government in preventing poverty when employers fail to pay livable wages. Low-wage business models clearly have a high social cost,” says report co-author Nathan Meyers, a fellow at the UMass Labor Center.

The findings arrive as Massachusetts lawmakers consider how to protect residents from the potential fallout of federal SNAP cuts. Advocates have urged the state to explore emergency food assistance or wage supports if federal funding drops.

The complete report, “SNAP Workers: Working People & SNAP Benefits in Massachusetts,” is available online via ScholarWorks at https://doi.org/10.7275/43mz-z910.