Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Holds Steady in June
BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate in June remained unchanged at 3.0%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 9,800 jobs in June. Over the month, the private sector added 8,400 jobs as gains occurred in education and health services, leisure and hospitality, financial activities, manufacturing, information, and trade, transportation, and utilities. Government added jobs over the month.
From June 2018 to June 2019, BLS estimates Massachusetts added 35,500 jobs. The June unemployment rate was seven-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“BLS estimates there are now 3,682,400 jobs in the Commonwealth, which is 287,100 jobs above the previous Massachusetts cumulative job-count high from February of 2001,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said. “Job gains both over the month and over the year continue to be led by the education and health services sector, which has added 21,500 jobs and grown by 2.7% over the last year.”
The labor force decreased by 2,100 from 3,840,900 in May, as 1,700 fewer residents were employed and 500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.
Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped four-tenths of a percentage point.
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 — dropped one-tenth of a percentage point at 67.7% over the month. Compared to June 2018, the labor-force participation rate is unchanged.
The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in education and health services, information, leisure and hospitality, and other services.
