Daily News

Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Creeps Up in June

BOSTON — The state’s June total unemployment rate is up eight-tenths of a percentage point at 17.4% following a revision to the May rate of 16.6%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 83,700 jobs in June. This follows last month’s revised gain of 55,000 jobs. Over the month, the private sector added 97,300 jobs as gains occurred in leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation, and utilities; construction; professional, scientific, and business services; education and health services; manufacturing; and other services. Losses occurred in financial activities and information. Government lost jobs over the month.

From June 2019 to June 2020, BLS estimates Massachusetts lost 529,800 jobs. Losses occurred in each of the private sectors, with the largest-percentage losses in leisure and hospitality; other services; trade, transportation, and utilities; and construction.

The June unemployment rate was 6.3% above the national rate of 11.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force increased by 130,800 from 3,540,900 in May, as 79,200 more residents were employed and 51,600 more residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 14.5%.

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 — increased to 64.9%. Compared to June 2019, the labor-force participation rate is down by 2.7%.