Shrewsbury

In a nationwide survey of how long people stay in their houses, Worcester ranked 10th with an average of 17 years. That’s up from nine years a decade ago, according to research by Redfin, the national Seattle-based real estate brokerage.

Emily's Interiors, a Framingham interior design store, will open a second location in Shrewsbury this spring.

Pier 1 Imports, the imported home furnishings retailer said up to 450 of its 942 stores are under consideration for closure, but it did not name specific locations. The Texas–based company operates Central Massachusetts stores in Bellingham, Framingham, Leominster, and Shrewsbury.

While condo prices remain cheaper than single-family dwellings in most Central Massachusetts communities, rising condo prices can keep first-time homebuyers on the sidelines.

More retail stores are on the horizon, and their success will depend on being able to find enough shops to carve out a niche in an industry always increasingly dominated by Amazon and other giants.

When Central Massachusetts companies look to fill software, programming or research jobs, they’re increasingly looking to foreign labor under an immigrant work program called H-1B.

Office vacancies in Worcester increased slightly in the third quarter, but that didn’t stop rents from rising.

Check out the latest promotions and hires in Central Massachusetts.

New Jersey-based Valeritas, which has executive, manufacturing, research and development operations in Shrewsbury, announced Tuesday a 22% revenue increase in the third quarter, although it losses increased for the quarter.

The newly opened Code Ninjas location teaches children computer skills using video games and language similar to a karate dojo.