BOSTON -- The Massachusetts State Auditor will review the jobs of thousands of state workers following a Team 5 Investigates report showing how many of them have been cheated out of health care and other benefits.

NewsCenter 5's Sean Kelly reported Thursday that contract workers have been doing the same job for years that full-fledged state employees have been doing but they don't get any of the benefits.

Critics say it's a political shell game to make it look like the state is shrinking the size of government. In reality, the number of contract workers rose in each of the four years Mitt Romney was governor of the commonwealth.

"I think it's wrong," said State Auditor Joe DeNucci. "I think the only time we should use consultants, contractors if you will, is when the ordinary workforce can't handle it."

DeNucci believes many workers have lost out on benefits because state agencies have misused contract or temporary workers.

Workers aren't the only ones losing out, according to Dr. Elaine Bernard, who heads the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School.

"It reduces the quality of services that are offered and once you start to send out a message that anything goes in the labor market, it hurts everyone," said Bernard.

Team 5 Investigates found the misuse of contract workers is a chronic problem dating back at least 20 years.

DeNucci's Office audited the Departments of Mental Health, Public Welfare and Social Services 1987 and found similar problems.

"There's no question that some of these agencies have ignored our recommendations and our findings," DeNucci said.

The auditor attributes that indifference to poor oversight and a lack of political will by previous administrations.

"It really doesn't appear to get better," DeNucci said. "So we're going to do another statewide audit and issue a report and really go after it."

This audit comes after the Patrick Administration told Team 5 Investigates it will also conduct a review of the state's use of temporary and contract workers. The state's human resources director says he wants to make sure everyone's being treated fairly and tax dollars aren't being wasted.