Massachusetts Unemployment & Job Estimates for June
BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate in June was down one-tenth of a percentage point at 4.9% following a revision to the May unemployment rate to 5.0%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has revised its model to better capture the effect of the pandemic, resulting in revisions to additional earlier calculations.
The bureau’s preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 9,400 jobs in June. This follows the previous month’s gain of 9,200 jobs. Over the month, the private sector added 5,400 jobs as gains occurred across six sectors, led by leisure and hospitality and education and health services. Since December 2020, Massachusetts has gained 101,200 jobs.
From June 2020 to June 2021, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 292,800 jobs. Gains occurred in all sectors, led by leisure and hospitality and trade, transportation and utilities.
The June unemployment rate was 1.0% below the national rate of 5.9% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The labor force increased by 4,900 from 3,702,100 in May, as 8,000 more residents were employed and 3,000 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.
Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 9.9%.
The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents age 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — was up 0.1% to 65.7% following a revision to the May rate of 65.6%. Compared to June 2020, the labor-force participation rate is up 0.5%.
