Pittsfield Job Rate Ticks Up in June
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The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the Barnstable, Tisbury and Nantucket labor areas recorded lower unemployment rates in June than in May reflecting seasonal declines in unemployment.
Job growth occurred in six of the commonwealth's 12 areas for which unadjusted job estimates were published; jobs were unchanged in three other areas. The Barnstable labor area saw the largest over-the-month percentage increase in jobs. Along with Pittsfield, Framingham, Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Boston-Quincy-Cambridge and Worcester areas also recorded over-the-month increases in jobs.
The Pittsfield region, which includes Becket, Cheshire, Dalton, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Lenox, New Ashford, Peru, Richmond, Savoy, Washington and Windsor, saw its nonfarm job rate rise less than a 1,000, from 35,400 in May to 36,100 in June, after hovering between 35,000 and 35,500 for months. Still, the Pittsfield area is down more than 1,000 jobs from a year ago.
Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate increased from 8 percent in May to 8.7 percent in June, still below the national average of 9.5 percent in June. A year ago, the unemployment rates were 5.1 percent for Massachusetts and 5.6 percent nationwide.
The unadjusted unemployment rates and jobs estimates for the labor markets may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates. The statewide seasonally adjusted June 2009 unemployment rate released last week increased from 8.2 percent in May to 8.6 percent in June. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted jobs estimate for June showed job losses over the month and losses over the year.
The July 2009 unemployment rate, labor force data and survey of jobs for Massachusetts will be released on August 20; local unemployment statistics will be released on Aug. 25. Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.
