Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate in June was down one-tenth of a percentage point at 4.9% following a revision to the May unemployment rate to 5.0%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has revised its model to better capture the effect of the pandemic, resulting in revisions to additional earlier calculations.

The bureau’s preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 9,400 jobs in June. This follows the previous month’s gain of 9,200 jobs. Over the month, the private sector added 5,400 jobs as gains occurred across six sectors, led by leisure and hospitality and education and health services. Since December 2020, Massachusetts has gained 101,200 jobs.

From June 2020 to June 2021, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 292,800 jobs. Gains occurred in all sectors, led by leisure and hospitality and trade, transportation and utilities.

The June unemployment rate was 1.0% below the national rate of 5.9% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force increased by 4,900 from 3,702,100 in May, as 8,000 more residents were employed and 3,000 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 9.9%.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents age 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — was up 0.1% to 65.7% following a revision to the May rate of 65.6%. Compared to June 2020, the labor-force participation rate is up 0.5%.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums and Springfield Cultural Partnership announced the artists chosen to augment the newly renovated Pynchon Plaza.

The SPark! Igniting Our Community call resulted in many quality applications. “We were very excited about the strength of the applications to participate in the public art program in Pynchon Park,” said Karen Finn, executive director of the Springfield Cultural Partnership. “The decision making was difficult.”

The chosen artists include Roberly Bell (Pelham), artful seating; Lauren Celini (Springfield), utility art; Michelle Falcón Fontánez (Boston) and Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría (Springfield), mosaic art; RT Woods (Springfield), fencing art; Beth Crawford Haydenville), 3D sculptural art; Jeffrey Lara (Springfield), 3D sculptural art; Make-It Springfield, library box; and Outdoor Musical Instruments (United Kingdom), sound sculpture (to be embellished by a local artist).

The call was open to all artists, and special consideration was given to installations that include Springfield artists, artists of color, LGBTQA+ artists, and female artists.

Funding of these eight projects comes from a combination of public and private monies, including a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Program Grant and a City of Springfield Community Development Block Grant.

The project is designed to engage city artists, residents, community stakeholders, and cultural institutions to actively participate to reimagine public art that celebrates Springfield’s citizens, culture, and historical legacies. Competitive proposals will be inspired by aspects of Springfield itself, including its historic and/or present-day people, cultures, places and landscapes, architecture, etc., and can be literal or creative, interpretive representations.

“Empowering the arts and cultural community is paramount to the strength and resilience of our community,” Finn said.

The SPark! Art Committee included representation from the Springfield Cultural Council, Springfield Parks, the Apremont Quadrangle Civic Assoc., Skyview Downtown, and the Springfield Technical Community College Carberry Fine Arts Gallery.

“The SPark! project is a remarkable opportunity to create a museum without walls that builds on the hopes and vision of our community in the heart of downtown Springfield,” said Kay Simpson, president and CEO of the Springfield Museums. “Pynchon Park will become more than just an easy way to walk from downtown to the Springfield Museums, the Central Library, and the Armory. It will become a community space for solace, conversation, programming, and play surrounded by intriguing art. We are thrilled to co-create an Art Park that showcases the talents of artists from Springfield and beyond.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Professional Drywall Construction Inc. (PDC), a commercial drywall company headquartered in Springfield, is expanding its footprint into New York State, having recently opened a new office in Malta on July 1. Leading the expansion is Randall Berkebile, who will serve as project executive and New York regional manager at the new branch.

“We have been looking into expanding into New York for quite some time, and Malta is a great, centralized location to set up our new shop,” said Ron Perry, owner of PDC. “We brought Randall in to help establish our company in the capital district and beyond. His years of experience and deep contacts in the region will assist in us creating a strong foothold in the community.”

Berkebile, a resident of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is a graduate of Ball State University. He has almost a decade of experience in construction-management roles and will be responsible for overseeing projects and growing the New York branch.

“I am very honored to have been chosen to join PDC at this historic time as they expand into a new territory,” Berkebile said. “PDC’s unique approach and incredibly professional and innovative work will quickly shoot them to the top in this market, and I am excited to be trusted with helping them get there.”

PDC also has a branch office in Norwalk, Conn.

Daily News

BOSTON — As of July 4, more than 34,000 Massachusetts households have enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities working to become age- and dementia-friendly to raise awareness about this program to help connect older adults to internet access.

The EBB provides eligible households with a temporary, monthly discount of up to $50 towards their broadband service. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop computer, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.

The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable (DTC) has developed educational materials (click here), which include a list of participating Massachusetts EBB providers, and offers the state agency office as a resource to help facilitate any problems consumers may encounter while trying to get enrolled.

Click here for the enrollment website. For additional information or assistance, contact the DTC at (800) 392-6066 or www.mass.gov/dtc.

Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest, in partnership with Living Local, has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Episode 71: July 19, 2021

George Interviews Massachusetts State Sen. Eric Lesser

Eric Lesser

George O’Brien has a lively discussion with Massachusetts State Sen. Eric Lesser, one of five finalists for BusinessWest’s coveted 40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award. The two tackle a wide range of topics, including high-speed rail, the new Future of Work Commission Lesser now sits on, and redistricting and what it might mean for Springfield and the rest of Western Mass. It’s must listening so join us on BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest in partnership with Living Local.

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