Unemployment Holds Steady in New England

BOSTON — The New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released New England and state unemployment numbers for June 2015. These data are supplied by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor-force data for Census regions and divisions, states, counties, metropolitan areas, and many cities, by place of residence. Among the highlights:

• The New England unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.8% in June, lower than the national rate (5.3%). One year ago, the New England jobless rate was higher, at 5.9%.

• Two New England states posted jobless rates that were significantly different from the U.S. rate of 5.3%. Vermont (3.6%) and New Hampshire (3.8%) recorded lower-than-average unemployment rates.

• Over the last year, all six New England states recorded statistically significant unemployment-rate decreases, with declines ranging from 1.8% in Rhode Island to 0.5% in New Hampshire and Vermont. In fact, Rhode Island had the largest jobless-rate decline nationwide.