Massachusetts Unemployment Rises Slightly in June
BOSTON — The state’s June total unemployment rate was 3.2%, a 0.2% increase from the revised May estimate of 3.0%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Massachusetts unemployment rate was 0.9% lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.1%.
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 0.4% over the month to 65.7%. Compared to June 2023, the labor-force participation rate also increased 0.6% over the year. The labor force increased by an estimated 23,800 from the revised estimate of 3,782,800 in May, with 16,200 more residents employed and 7,600 more residents unemployed over the month.
The BLS preliminary estimates show Massachusetts gained 19,000 jobs in June. This follows May’s revised gain of 6,400 jobs, up from the preliminary estimates of 4,200. The largest over-the-month private-sector job gains were in education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; and construction. Employment now stands at 3,755,100. Massachusetts gained 691,600 jobs since the employment low in April 2020.
From June 2023 to June 2024, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 40,200 jobs. The largest over-the-year gains occurred in education and health services, government, and construction.
