Hasbro Inc.’s relocation from Pawtucket to Boston is underway, with the transition set to be completed later in 2026, but the extent of economic damage and job losses in Rhode Island remains unclear.
Frustrated city and state officials say they’ve been unable to reach the company to learn more about its exit plan, including if any jobs are staying here, how many might be losing their jobs in the wake of the relocation, and what will become of the soon-to-be abandoned company headquarters on Newport Avenue.
“We’ve been trying to understand what their thoughts are,” an exasperated Mayor Donald R. Grebien told Providence Business News. “They’re not calling back.”
Pawtucket officials aren’t sure how many employees were working at Hasbro’s Pawtucket headquarters when the company announced in September that it was shipping up to Boston. Likewise, R.I. Commerce Corp. doesn’t know, either, because the agency doesn’t track that data and hasn’t received any communications from the company, according to spokesperson Matthew Touchette.
The Providence Business News annual Book of Lists put Hasbro’s headcount in Rhode Island at 1,000 in 2024 and 2025, and the city of Pawtucket had estimated it at about 900 last March.
But Hasbro has insisted that roughly 700 full-time roles will be moving to Boston when the global toy company entirely vacates its longtime home in Pawtucket, and it hasn’t offered an explanation for the discrepancy.
Even when Hasbro announced last June that it would cut 3% of its global workforce, the company said fewer than 30 jobs would be affected in New England.
When contacted recently for comment, the company referred PBN to its previous statements.
But knowing the full scope of damage – including the jobs lost – as Hasbro pulls out is crucial to the state, city and local businesses, according to Ramesh Mohan, Bryant University professor of economic analytics.
Hasbro has long acted as an economic anchor in Pawtucket and the region, and hundreds of employees leaving the area could sharply reduce tax revenue, and slash the amount of customer traffic at area shops and restaurants, Mohan said.
“Losing hundreds of headquarters jobs removes both payroll and local purchasing power, which has an immediate effect on the surrounding economy,” Mohan said.
The R.I. Department of Labor and Training was unable to clarify the situation, saying state and federal law prohibits the agency from publicly releasing employer-specific payroll information.
While Grebien has heard that Hasbro is moving all of its Rhode Island jobs to Boston, he hasn’t been notified of that by the company. Nor has he been told how many Rhode Island workers might no longer be employed by Hasbro after the move.
That’s making it difficult for the city and state to prepare a response plan, such as providing job-search services and training for those left behind.
“We’re not trying to know [Hasbro’s] business,” Grebien said. “But there are certain things you have to know.”
Another question that remains unanswered: what becomes of the sprawling headquarters that Hasbro still owns – a 125-year-old industrial building that CEO Chris Cocks told employees is “showing its age.”
Grebien said developers have already expressed interest in the 340,000-square-foot property for manufacturing or housing. And municipal and state leaders must weigh factors such as incentives and zoning changes to attract new tenants or enable mixed-use redevelopment.
But the silence from Hasbro makes redevelopment planning nearly impossible, the mayor said.
According to city records, Hasbro’s campus – with land and improvements assessed at more than $25 million – ranks among the city’s larger commercial properties, underscoring the stakes for Pawtucket’s economic future.
City officials acknowledged that Hasbro has filed a challenge to that valuation, arguing it was too high in the 2024 and 2025 tax years.
