Economy

The Massachusetts unemployment rate showed improvement in March, hitting 6.8% in new data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Less than 1% of construction contracts awarded for Worcester's $160-million Polar Park baseball stadium went to certified minority-owned businesses, according to a news report published Thursday by Boston media outlet GBH News.

The Worcester area's unemployment rate improved slightly in February. But that good news masks a lingering problem: the number of people working dropped for the second straight month.

The Massachusetts unemployment rate hit its best mark since the coronavirus pandemic hit about a year ago, with a February rate of 7.1%.

Fitchburg and Worcester have each received $60,000 in state funds to help with small-business grants meant to aid overcoming the coronavirus pandemic.

The federal American Rescue Plan is expected to provide $488 million in aid for Central Massachusetts cities and towns to help them recover from the coronavirus pandemic and the economic toll it brought.

Greater Worcester's unemployment rate headed in the wrong direction for the second straight month in January, as did the rate in the Leominster-to-Gardner area, as coronavirus cases hit all-time highs.

Saint Vincent Hospital has reached a tentative agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents 600 workers at the Worcester hospital, including patient care assistants and critical care technicians.

More than a week into a strike with hundreds of nurses, Saint Vincent Hospital is going on a public relations offensive, mailing flyers and updating a specially created website about the strike and negotiations.

Worcester city councilors are due to vote Tuesday night on a resolution supporting hundreds of Saint Vincent...