News and Advice

Bay State’s jobless rate ebbs, bucking national trend
The Massachusetts unemployment rate dropped last month for the first time in two years, and job losses slowed - signs the state’s beleaguered job market may be stabilizing. (By Robert Gavin, Boston Globe)

Beverly Hospital, site in Danvers losing jobs
Pressed by growing uncertainty in the health care industry, Northeast Hospital Corp., parent company of Beverly Hospital and an outpatient affiliate in neighboring Danvers, said it has eliminated 22 jobs in an effort to become leaner and more efficient. (By Robert Weisman, Boston Globe)

Out of the region’s thousands of unemployed, one woman’s story
LAWRENCE - Irma Rendon says the bad luck began 11 months ago. That’s when her factory boss in North Andover told her that after four years of assembling cables she was no longer needed. (By Steven Rosenberg, Boston Globe)

From Chelsea to Lawrence, jobless residents fight uphill battle against stalled economy
It’s 10 o’clock on a Monday morning and about 100 solemn-faced people crowd into a gray-walled waiting room in an old brick building hard by the railroad tracks in Lawrence. The group is nearly silent and the faces are glum and filled with tension. The room could serve as the epicenter for unemployment in Massachusetts. In Lawrence the rate has ... (By Steven Rosenberg, Boston Globe)

Leadership talk at Suffolk University
We make bad decisions every day (fewer than everyone else, of course), but our bads don’t usually effect lots of people. At tonight’s Ford Hall Forum, Sydney Finkelstein will explain why powerful folks with powerful cognitive abilities make bad decisions (think Wall Street), and how wise leaders avoid them. “Think Again: Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions and How to ... (By June Wulff, Boston Globe)

Some liquid assets do well in downturns
On the job with Max Toste, bartender Don’t call Max Toste a liquid chef or mixologist. (By Cindy Atoji Keene, Boston Globe)

Tracking the flow of stimulus funds to communities north of Boston
The federal economic-stimulus program has meant an infusion of dollars for public and private projects across the region, though getting a clear idea of its effect on jobs is not a simple task. (By John Laidler, Boston Globe)

Downturn isn’t over yet for Bay State
The Massachusetts economy seemed to have begun a turnaround this summer as employment losses in August diminished to just a few hundred statewide. With the national job losses still mounting, it appeared the state would emerge from the recession sooner than the nation as a whole. (By Robert Gavin, Boston Globe)

How to clear the air over an office annoyance
Q. I have shared an office with my boss for almost a year now. Since day one I have noticed that she clears her throat . . . a lot. (By Peter Post, Boston Globe)

A plan for getting by, working less
Unemployed and single, Phyllis Werlin didn’t think she could afford to retire. But the Malden resident - laid off twice in 12 months from technical support jobs - was eager to rethink her relationship with work. (By Lynn Asinof, Boston Globe)