Gov. Rick Snyder wants to tie retraining programs to companies' needs, erase barriers keeping welfare recipients from work and encourage more Michigan residents to earn math and science degrees under an initiative aimed at making workers more competitive in the global marketplace.

The economy is picking up. If only job growth would follow.

CGI Group Inc. said Thursday it will help build the federal government's health insurance exchanges as part of a contract with Medicare worth up to $93.7 million.

New Jersey and New York rank as the two states with the highest average gross pay for state employees in 2010, according to an analysis of recent U.S. Census of Governments data by CGR Govistics, a project of the Center for Governmental Research.