The Bay State’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported today that despite the loss of 6,000 census jobs, the state added a net 13,200 workers to its rolls in July, marking the sixth straight month of employment gains in Massachusetts. Read the full article

After taking a one-year hiatus, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is again joining several other states in giving consumers a two-day “sales tax holiday.” Read the full article

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) reports that the number of single-family homes and condominiums placed under agreement in July 2010 was well below last year's level. Read the full article

Owners of small businesses are upbeat about their own chances for success, yet most believe that we will still be in a recession a year from now. Read the full article

Now in its 10th year, Boston Restaurant Week | Summer 2010 will kick into gear next month. Fine restaurants in the Boston area will offer reduced-price versions of their cuisine, giving thrifty diners opportunities to eat well at a discount. Read the full article

Late last year, Congress extended an $8,000 tax credit for new homebuyers and created a $6,500 credit for some existing homeowners who sell their old homes and buy new ones. These credits were originally available for houses purchased under contracts signed by April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30, but new legislation may give a break to those who can’t meet the June 30 deadline. Read the full article

Yesterday the New England Economic Partnership (NEEP) held its Fall Economic Conference at the Boston Federal Reserve. Regional economists reported that they expect unemployment in New England to peak next year, despite improvements in the national economic outlook. Read the full article

Today I found a nice article at Smartmoney.com that summarizes several indicators that can help you make an educated guess as to whether housing prices in an area are likely to go up. Read the full article

Economists at the University of Massachusetts believe the state’s economy may have bottomed, but the indicators remain ambiguous. Read the full article

Bizjournals.com recently released its analysis of per capita income growth in the 100 largest US metro areas. Except for Bridgeport-Stamford, CT, Boston was the only metro area in New England ranked among the top 10 . Read the full article

I don’t often write this sort of advice, but here’s my household risk management recommendation for the Fall: get your flu shots. Read the full article

The Federal Reserve’s latest “beige book” report offers a few encouragements on the state of the New England economy. Read the full article

Yesterday the Bureau of Labor Standards provided a CPI update through July 2009. Prices seem to be firming, but no clear pattern has yet emerged. Read the full article

For several years Massachusetts, like many states, has had a summer tax holiday weekend – sort of like Christmas in August. This year, the Grinch has come to the Bay State. Read the full article

When I moved to Boston, I was surprised to discover that despite the severity of New England winters, ice cream is a regional obsession. Here’s a useful resource for finding the area’s finest ice creameries as you travel this summer. Read the full article

As more attention is focused on to the risks of leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), regulators are starting to investigate how they’re being sold to retail investors. Read the full article

Although I’m not a true “foodie,” I do enjoy a good meal. I enjoy saving money, too. Restaurant Week enables me to do both simultaneously. Now in its ninth year in Boston, Restaurant Week offers an opportunity for locals to sample the offerings of pricey restaurants at a discount. Moreover, there are Restaurant Weeks in other cities. Read the full article

Although early summer in the Boston area has been unseasonably cool, it probably won’t stay that way. Coupled with some of the highest electrical rates in the nation, warm weather provides plenty of motivation for energy conservation. Here are some suggestions for cutting your electric bill during the summer. Read the full article

Yesterday the Brookings Institution released a report evaluating the effect of the Great Recession on employment and other economic indicators in the nation’s 100 largest cities. Even with a below-average showing for housing prices, Boston's economy doesn't look so bad in comparison to many other cities. Read the full article

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its report today on changes in New England region prices for May 2009. Read the full article

The Federal Reserve Bank’s “Beige Book,” issued eight times a year, was released this week. The outlook for New England is uncertain, with few bright spots. Read the full article

With the economy still in the doldrums, doing a home renovation could be an excellent idea. It’s a bit counter-intuitive, but hear me out. Read the full article

Yesterday I attended the spring New England Economic Partnership (NEEP) conference, held semiannually by the nonprofit economic research group that studies the region's economy. They were optimistically cautious. Read the full article

Could you use some free financial advice from a qualified financial planner? The NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation (NCEF), in collaboration with TD AMERITRADE Institutional and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, will be helping Boston-area consumers make wise money decisions next week on May 20th and 21st.

Read the full article

With the economy in a funk, consumers are becoming more cost-conscious. In response, retail businesses seem to be offering more discounts. Recently I discovered a neat resource for people who like saving money but who'd also like to be able to have a meal at a nice restaurant. Read the full article

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