26 2014 Central Mass By The Numbers • Worcester Business Journal www.wbjournal.com
e Worcester Business Journal wants to know and is asking
you to vote on the region's best B2B companies in our first
Best of Business competition.
We're conducting an Online Reader's Poll where you can
vote for companies in up to 40 categories. e winners will
be unveiled in the January 19, 2015 issue of the Worcester
Business Journal, and honored at a special networking
reception following the issue.
To participate you must pick a company in at least 10 categories for your
ballot to count. Only one ballot per IP address will be accepted.
Go to
www.wbjournal.com/BOBawards to place your vote today!
Who are the best business-to-business
companies in Central Massachusetts?
The ones that truly offer the best service, sweat all the
details and have customer-focused employees who deliver
outstanding products and services?
We Want to knoW! Vote today!
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FINANCE & ECONOMICS
consumer confidence
Consumers in Massachusetts, New England and the U.S. have become
more confident about their purchasing power over the last year.
State budget
The commonwealth increased spending on most health care-related programs
in the fiscal 2015 budget, which took effect July 1. Meanwhile, education,
economic development and local aid, among other areas, took hits.
20
Jan. April July Oct.
2008
Jan. April July Oct.
2009
Jan. April July Oct.
2010
Jan. April July Oct.
2011
Jan. April July Oct.
2012
Jan. April July Oct.
2013
Jan. April July
2014
40
60
80
100
Massachusetts
U.S.
New England
Sources: Mass Insight (State), Conference Board (U.S. and New England)
Education
Environment
& Recreation
Infrastructure, Housing
& Economic Dev.
Health Care
Human Services
Economic Development
Law & Public Safety
Local Aid
Other
MassHealth
& Health Reform
Mental Health
Public Health
State Employee
Health Insurance
7,720
7,552
201
208
17,257
17,329
3,921
3,909
2,265
2,129
212
144
2,706
1,440
1,047
987
4,902
4,875
13,883
14,681
721
736
580
543
1,399
1,368
FY 2014
FY 2015
In millions of dollars
Sources: Massachusetts Budget
and Policy Center, Budget Monitor
