Between August 2011 and August 2012, industrial employment in Massachusetts slightly dropped as it now employs 362,968 workers at 8,509 manufacturers, according to the 2013 Massachusetts Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. in Evanston, Ill.

GE shares rose to a four-year high as the company told analysts it expects industrial revenue to rise about 10 percent this year.

Professional women, for all of their accomplishments, are much less likely than men to oversee their own financial futures.

More than 100,000 U.S. employees will be able to sign up for health insurance through a new corporate exchange launched by Aon Hewitt, the human resources and health benefits consultant firm said Thursday.