Since 2006, ShapeUp has taken knowledge on the successful dynamics of group behavior – and run with it – to foster healthier employees. more

Rhode Island lawmakers hope a federal spending bill expected to be approved last week will allow the national Job Corps workforce-development program to soon start accepting new enrollees. A national freeze on enrollment following budget shortfalls could keep as many as 100 Rhode Island at-risk youths from gaining education and vocational training if it lasts until the current June 30 projection. more

CharterCare Health Partners, a hospital system that includes Roger Williams Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Health Services and Elmhurst Extended Care, offers a smorgasbord of wellness events and activities for its 2,200 employees. Initiatives include yoga, Pilates, Zumba, walking programs, healthy cooking options, lunch-and-learn sessions, smoking-cessation and sleep-improvement programs, as well as sun safety, body composition and wellness clinics. more

EAST GREENWICH – Information technology staffing firm Bridge Technical Solutions has officially changed its name to Bridge Technical Talent. more

Fewer Americans than forecast filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, a signal the U.S. labor market is maintaining its recent progress, as applications for jobless benefits increased by 2,000 to 336,000 in the week ended March 16. more

Dennis Fernandez thought he knew how to properly navigate his job search. more

Just a year ago, Stephanie Hebert was a long-term unemployed woman in her mid-20s without a college education or high school diploma – exactly the population at risk for chronic joblessness and public-assistance dependence. more

Unemployment rates fell year over year in March in 306 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. more

The December 2012 labor-market data contained a number of very favorable developments. According to the data, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate fell to 10.2 percent, its lowest value in some time. more

The unemployment rate for New England fell 0.2 percentage points year over year in February to 7 percent, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday. more