Payroll Jobs Increase Again in January, Unemployment Rate at 4.7%

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) released Massachusetts unemployment and job estimates for January, with preliminary data indicating payroll jobs increased by 3,700 for the month, the latest available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Since October, BLS data indicates Massachusetts has consecutively added payroll jobs, totaling 14,700 payroll jobs during this period. Preliminary data also shows the January unemployment rate at 4.7% and labor force participation rate at 66.2%.

Unemployment and job estimates for February will be released April 17, with March data scheduled for May 1.

BLS categories with the strongest growth month-over-month for Massachusetts employment in January include private education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing.

“The preliminary estimates suggest that Massachusetts is experiencing a period of strong job growth that began in October, with the state adding 14,700 jobs in that time,” said Mark Rembert, chief economist in EOLWD’s Department of Economic Research. “While the unemployment rate remained steady in January, we have been monitoring economic signals and trends, particularly at the national level, that continue to present challenges — and potential opportunities — in the labor market for job seekers and employers.”