FOR GENERATIONS, Massachusetts industries have used apprenticeships to develop young talent and build expertise in demanding blue-collar fields, often working hand-in-hand with government agencies. As we cope with the impact of two interwoven crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and the explosion of anger over racism in America – and grapple with a response, here’s a […]
Economics
Posted inOpinion
Don’t pull the plug on thoroughbreds
IN THE HEYDAY of thoroughbred racing in New England in the 1970s, you could watch live thoroughbred racing at 10 different racing venues, including seven fairground racetracks from Great Barrington to Weymouth, that created a reliable racing circuit along with Suffolk Downs, Narragansett Park in Rhode Island, and Rockingham Park in New Hampshire. By 2005, […]
Posted inEconomy
Many businesses closed by COVID are not coming back
THE GREEN BEAN in Northampton was the type of breakfast and lunch place where people would visit daily, hold work meetings, meet their future spouse, or break up with a significant other. With its narrow space and close-together tables, it was the epitome of a restaurant that could not maintain physical distance between customers. For […]
Posted inEconomy
Mass. unemployment claims unexpectedly increase
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE NEW STANDARD UNEMPLOYMENT claims in Massachusetts bounced back up last week after nine straight weeks of decline, even as claims at the national level continued to fall. State labor officials on Thursday reported receiving 44,660 applications for traditional unemployment benefits between May 31 and June 6, a roughly 65 percent increase […]
Posted inEconomy
Businesses like new PPP rules
PRESIDENT TRUMP on Friday signed into law a measure that business owners in Massachusetts say will make it a lot easier for them to take advantage of federal aid to keep their companies afloat. The new law changes the terms of the original Paycheck Protection Program, allowing more money to be spent on rent, utilities, and other business expenses and providing more flexibility on rehiring workers and paying back […]
Posted inEconomy
Reopening expected to be slow, cautious
EXPECTATIONS ARE RUNNING HIGH that Gov. Charlie Baker will begin to throw open the economy on Monday, but sources say the coming week will see relatively few changes. Business groups and the public in general have been clamoring for details in advance of the reopening, but Baker appears content to release a report from an […]
Posted inEconomy
A failure to communicate in North Adams
CRANE STATIONERY CO. in North Adams needs to do a better job of communicating. On April 29, the company’s chief operations officer, Dean Daigle, sent an email to employees that most news outlets in the area regarded as a shutdown notice. “Crane Stationery to close North Adams plant,” read the headline in the Berkshire Eagle. Daigle wrote […]
Posted inUncategorized
Boston Globe announces layoffs
THE BOSTON GLOBE laid off two union employees and an unspecified number of nonunion employees on Wednesday in response to a downturn in revenue caused by the COVID-19 business shutdown. At a time when news publications across the country are paring back, the Boston Newspaper Guild said management had notified the union that two members […]
Posted inEconomy
Sewing machine firm expands into PPE
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Tuesday showcased a Fall River sewing machine manufacturer that has expanded during the COVID-19 crisis into the production of personal protection equipment and is now expecting that will be a major part of its business going forward. The Merrow Sewing Machine Co. over the last 40 days has launched a new […]
Posted inEconomy
The ‘new normal’: A mask-wearing, young workforce?
A POWERFUL COALITION of Massachusetts business leaders has laid out an extensive roadmap for reopening the economy – but not, they warned, to return to what used to be considered normal life. Younger, healthier people could return to work first. People able to work remotely would continue to do so. Masks would be critical, as […]