Daily News

Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Holds Steady in July

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9% in July, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 43,400 jobs in July. This follows the previous month’s gain of 11,200 jobs.

Over the month, the private sector added 30,700 jobs as gains occurred across seven sectors, led by leisure and hospitality and professional, scientific, and business services. Since December 2020, Massachusetts has gained 146,400 jobs.

From July 2020 to July 2021, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 254,200 jobs. Gains occurred in all sectors, led by leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and trade, transportation, and utilities, with greater than 40,000 jobs gained over the year.

The July unemployment rate was 0.5% below the national rate of 5.4% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force increased by 4,900 from 3,696,700 in June, as 5,000 more residents were employed and 100 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 4.9%.

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 — was up 0.1% at 65.6% following a revision to the June rate of 65.5%. Compared to July 2020, the labor-force participation rate is up 2.5%.