More Americans than projected filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, reflecting the difficulty the government has adjusting the figures around the Easter holiday and spring break at schools. more

A group of small-business leaders armed with a fresh list of recommendations to boost economic development in Rhode Island said the state’s mandatory Temporary Disability Insurance could be one element among many making the state’s business climate unattractive. more

On the walking track outside its corporate headquarters on Royal Little Drive in Providence, employees of AAA Southern New England can frequently be seen engaging in the company’s latest wellness challenge – a walking event – in which more than 725 of the firm’s 1,500 employees are participating. Pedometers, so they can measure their progress, are provided through UnitedHealthcare of New England, the self-insured company’s partner in its wellness program. The goal is have employees take 10,000 steps a day. more

Unemployment rates fell year over year in February in 187 of the United States’ 372 metropolitan areas, including the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro, according to the latest non-seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported Wednesday. more

If you need proof that workplace wellness programs are effective, just take a look at the numbers collected at Fellowship Health Resources Inc. more

The name changed recently – to Healthcentric Advisors from Quality Partners of Rhode Island – but the commitment to creating an excellent workplace remains a constant. The firm was also honored in 2011 as one of the Best Places To Work by Providence Business News. more

Empowering workers to manage their own path to health and wellness is an avenue employers have begun to emphasize. more

Soon, teenagers by the millions will be seeking summer jobs – the vast majority at small businesses coast to coast. An estimated 18 million U.S. teens will work this year, one of the highest totals in the developed world. more

Through April of this year, Rhode Island continued to have the second-highest unemployment rate in the United States, leaving the state with 62,178 people unemployed. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 11.2 percent, a one-tenth of a percentage point increase from the March rate. In fact, a double-digit unemployment rate is forecast for Rhode Island through the end of 2013. more

Professional-staffing firm Kforce Inc. provides employees for technology, finance, government and other sectors. With offices in Providence, its motto is “Great People = Great Results.” And it has measures in place to ensure its own staff gets the benefits and perks they need to be great. more