As the number of unemployment claims continues to rise, states are turning to big tech companies for help, and Rhode Island is working with Amazon Web Services on the issue.
"They stepped into the crisis and really helped us out in real-time," Director of the Rhode Island Labor Department, Scott Jensen told Cheddar.
In "normal" times, Jensen explained that the state's system worked just fine, but said this is not "normal times." Amazon's cloud-based solutions have helped the state handle the recent spike in traffic that the state has seen as unemployment numbers rise.
"Old infrastructure isn't going to handle it … and that's where Amazon stepped in for Rhode Island and helped us supply in a couple of really smart ways," he said.
Finding a new job is an emotional journey in itself and one woman is looking to get back into the workforce after some time off. Cheddar News' docuseries Ready 4 Work profiles her as she works through her job search.
Virgin Galactic has announced plans to pause flight operations next year so they can focus more on developing its next-generation delta class spacecraft.
The contract agreement reached Wednesday must still be approved by the union's board and its members, but the leadership said actors will be allowed to return to work starting Thursday.
