labor force participation

Labor shortages are front and center once again this holiday season as Bay Staters make their way to retail stores for gift shopping. Help wanted signs line store windows, the occasional store is closed during hours when it would otherwise be open,...

Even with lower unemployment rates in Massachusetts and the U.S., the real-world economy continues to feel awfully sluggish — and for good reason. The fact is that the unemployment rate doesn’t tell the whole story. Strictly defined as the percentage of the...