Dec. 12, 2022Edition

The Worcester Business Journal partnered with the nonprofit Worcester Regional Research Bureau on a new project examining how rent increases over the last decade have impacted the city and its businesses, as well as an historic look at how financial decisions rooted in racism 86 years ago have exacerbated the housing and workforce problems today.

Problems like unaffordable housing, uneducated people, pollution, and lack of neighborhood sustainability – each putting a drag on businesses and the economy – can be connected directly to HOLC's racist decisions 86 years ago.

As the cost of leased housing has risen and wages have stayed relatively stagnant, the portion of Worcester renters who are overburdened by the cost of their homes has risen to 51%.

In 1936, seven white men judged which neighborhoods of Worcester were not viable for real estate financing. Today, as rising costs overburden half of renters in the city, those impacted the most are from those neighborhoods still suffering from lack of investment.

As part of the then-new Federal Housing Administration’s effort to give out more home loans, a 1936 assessment of the neighborhoods in Worcester was commissioned by the Home Owners' Loan Corp.

A lawyer was working late one night when he saw a colleague’s computer suddenly turn on. Files flashed up on the screen as though someone were at the empty desk searching through the firm’s documents and data.

Some companies may be trying to reach potential customers and convert clicks to sales, while others want to show off their company culture to people who might consider applying for a job.

More construction is headed our way. More apartments are being built. There will be more businesses that come and go. But it’s not always goodbye in the Canal District.

Excessive work absenteeism is when an employee shows a pattern of missing work: Calling out last minute, with or without a reason; arriving late on a regular basis; taking extended lunches; and spending long periods away from their workstations.

There’s no shame in moving back home. This is a huge privilege I recognize and am grateful to have. Housing is expensive and definitely not something school prepares us for. 

When moving to a new place, becoming a part of your community is essential to building a happy and healthy life.

People are on the move at MutualOne Bank, Friendly House, and more.

Solutions like government money do help address these issues, but the real struggle is the effort to win over hearts and minds of businesspeople.

This year marks the 10th anniversary for Bay State Brewing Co. The company started when Co-founder Chip Jarry began bringing beer he brewed to a hockey rink locker room.

Trivia question: What $160-million public facility opened in Worcester’s Canal District in 2021?

The UMass Donahue Institute’s Economic and Public Policy Research group, has completed a study exploring solutions for a worker shortage in Northern Worcester County.

The nationwide $370-billion investment in the clean economy of the future will create tens of thousands of jobs in every state. Massachusetts will see more jobs created than the entire populations of Auburn and Holden combined.