Greater Worcester

With Massachusetts straining under an overburdened emergency shelter system and staring down a shortfall of workers, a group of more than 60 Bay State lawmakers is sending a letter urging the White House and Congress to work with haste to find a bipartisan solution that can address the "dual crises of a dysfunctional immigration system and a rapidly-devolving domestic workforce shortage."

The Healey administration is working on an economic development bill to file in the new year and "hit the ground running in 2024," Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao said Wednesday, forecasting a focus in the legislation on technology related to climate change.

Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives in Worcester, a life science incubator, has been selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a stage two winner of its 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.

Legislators representing marginalized communities and diverse medical leaders touted comprehensive health equity bills as a solution to overcoming long-standing racial disparities during a hearing Wednesday, though insurers warned the bill's passage could lead to higher costs for patients and employers.

The U.S. Department of Defense on Wednesday chose Massachusetts to lead a regional microelectronics hub, positioning the state for growth in a burgeoning industry that the Healey administration hopes will reach a level of significance akin to the state's life science industry.

Unionized workers at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts have voted to ratify a new contract to allow for a $2.50 per hour wage increase, added anti-discrimination protections, and increased parental leave.

The Worcester Guardian, a new digital news organization being launched by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, has hired its first editor.

Unemployment rates across Central Massachusetts remained virtually unchanged from July to August, continuing the summer’s trend of low unemployment across the region, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on Tuesday by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell on Tuesday voiced her support for proposals that would strengthen her office's authority to crack down on wage theft and protect Massachusetts from lost economic growth, jobs and taxes.

The College of the Holy Cross and all three of the Central Massachusetts state universities gained in the U.S. News and World Report rankings released Monday, while Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University fell.