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 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.
More than 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.

. . .