Economy

Unemployment in the MetroWest region continued to fall in April, with the Framingham metro area’s rate hitting 2.5%. 

More than $9 billion of last year's federal infrastructure law is already billed for Massachusetts, but $2.5 billion in competitive grant money is also available and the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions said they stand ready to help municipalities get a piece of the action.

Although Worcester metro area unemployment dropped 0.4 percentage points from March to April, the region’s labor force also shrank considerably, falling below figures from April 2021.

Unemployment in Massachusetts fell to 4.1% in April, continuing to drive down toward pre-COVID levels.

Showcase, a Canadian retail company specializing in selling products seen frequently on TikTok or television shows, is coming to Natick as part of a major U.S. expansion.

Workers at the Planned Parenthood facilities in Worcester and Marlborough, along with workers at two other sites across the state, announced Wednesday their intention to unionize and join 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers East, part of the Service Employees International Union.

Spencer Trappist Brewery, the only Trappist brewery located in the United States, announced it was ceasing operations via a Facebook post on Saturday.

The severing of economic ties between the U.S. and Russia is likely to prove a challenge for IPG Photonics, which was founded in Russia and has long-standing ties to the country.

The New England Newspaper & Press Association has given nine journalism awards to Worcester Business Journal at part of the 2021 Better Newspaper Competition, honoring stories on the legacy of slavery in Central Massachusetts, housing discrimination in Worcester, and attempts to narrow racial and gender pay gaps.

Hourly workers in Massachusetts collectively miss out on more than $1.6 billion in wages every year because of unmet child care needs, part of a roughly $2.7 billion drag on the statewide economy stemming from inadequate child care.