During the past year, construction employment in Rhode Island fell nearly 9 percent, or 1,400 jobs, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. more

Is summer a time to dress down at work? At many businesses, the answer is maybe, since both formal and informal dress codes are often left to interpretation. Sheri Ispir, above, center, director of Experiential Education & Career Services at Johnson & Wales University, has some simple advice: “Let someone tell you [not] to wear a jacket and tie. Always go formal first.” Also pictured are Marquis Cooper, left, an office assistant and JWU sophomore, and Education Coordinator Ashley Evans. more

Job openings in the U.S. eased in March from an almost five-year high, indicating employers are waiting to see how the economy performs as federal budget cuts take effect. more

Women-owned businesses in Rhode Island are not growing at the rate as those in the rest of the country. Even more alarming, while the number of businesses is growing at that slower pace, the number of people employed by women-owned companies has actually shrunk since 1997, according to a survey by American Express. more

BOSTON – The R.I. Department of Labor and Training is bringing back 11 previously laid-off employees to help staff the Unemployment Insurance Call Center. more

Despite the three-tenths of a percentage point decline in its unemployment rate in April, to 8.8 percent, Rhode Island still has the sixth-highest jobless rate in the nation, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. more

BOSTON – Preliminary April 2012 estimates show that Massachusetts added 2,500 jobs over the month, for a total of 3.24 million jobs, according to the Mass. Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. more

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The Education Exchange says its jobs-search program has helped nearly 70 percent of participants find gainful employment thanks to a hands-on approach that focuses on adapting workers’ skills to available jobs. more

BOSTON – The Mass. Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported preliminary December 2012 federal estimates show a gain of 7,500 jobs in the state over the month, for a total of 3,263,400 jobs. The December job gain follows a revised loss of 3,200 jobs in November. more

Erik and Dawn Deneault have two healthy children and were blindsided when their third child, Danica, was born with brain malformations. Their life suddenly consisted of days and weeks of medical visits in Providence and Boston and months of searching for a way to decrease their daughter’s 40 to 50 seizures a day. more