Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Creeps Down in May
BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate was down 0.3% in May to 6.1%, following a revision to the April unemployment rate of 6.4%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 9,200 jobs in May. This follows April’s revised gain of 10,200 jobs. Over the month, leisure and hospitality once again had the largest gains with 3,200 jobs added, followed by education and health services, adding 2,400 jobs. Since December 2020, Massachusetts has gained 91,800 jobs.
From May 2020 to May 2021, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 357,700 jobs. Education and health services gained the most jobs, adding 50,600, followed by leisure and hospitality, adding 43,400 jobs.
The May unemployment rate was 0.3% higher than the national rate of 5.8% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Massachusetts labor force increased by 1,900 from 3,745,700 in April, as 13,700 more residents were employed and 11,800 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 9.2%.
The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — remained at 66.4%. Compared to May 2020, the labor-force participation rate is up 2.5%.
