News

The state Department of Employment Security wants to raise the unemployment insurance tax by 12.5 percent for the next four years, arguing that if it isn't increased, many employers’ taxes would increase even more. The department -- facing a $6…

The owner of a Hudson trucking company has pleaded guilty to charges relating to a scheme to avoid paying full taxes on his employees’ wages. Robert B. Stalker, owner of Robert’s Dismantling and Recycling Corp. pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges…

Shares of J. Jill Group Inc., specialty retailer of women’s apparel, rose 4 percent following yesterday’s announcement by the company’s board of directors that it would explore strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value, including the possible sale of the company.…

The state Department of Employment Security wants to be able to start fining companies that intentionally misclassify employees as independent contractors, but a bill giving the agency power to do so has hit a major hurdle. According to a draft…

Fiberoptics company StockerYale’s chief operating officer will retire at the end of the year, the firm announced last week. Salem -based StockerYale announced Dec. 1 that Ricardo A. Diaz, who came out of semi-retirement to work the company two years…

James Menzies of Hooksett, former chief financial officer of Nashua-based Keyson Airways Corporation, has been indicted and arraigned on a charge he stole more than $347,000 from his former firm. Menzies was indicted Dec. 1 by a Hillsborough County grand…

HiSoftware, a Web analytics software provider based in Concord, recently closed its latest round of venture funding, led by Belmont Capital Partners LLC and Westwood Technology Ventures. Although numbers were not released, company officials said the amount was in "low…

New England consumers plan to increase their gift budgets by 5 percent this holiday season, according to a survey of retail spending and trends. The survey of 828 consumers in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont was commissioned…

New Hampshire-based e-forecasting’s U.S. leading economic index posted gains in November, rising by 0.7 percent to a reading of 109.7, following a decline of 0.2 percent in October. According to e-forecasting, which has its headquarters in Durham, its index --…

Verizon Communications Inc. has declared a quarterly dividend of 40.5 cents per outstanding share, unchanged from the previous quarter. The dividend is payable Feb. 1, 2006, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Jan. 10, 2006.