Massachusetts Jobs
(seasonally adjusted)
Good news on the labor front: the state's unemployment rate continues to drop. Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate decreased from 9.3 percent in September to 8.4 percent in October. But that's still nearly double last year's rate overall.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development also reports that unemployment rates were lower in October than in September in 20 of the state's 22 labor market areas. The Amherst, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Peabody and Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner areas recorded the largest over-the-month unemployment rate declines. Two areas posted seasonal unemployment rate increases: Tisbury and Nantucket County. 

In North Adams, the rate dropped from 9.5 percent to 8.8 percent; last October, the rate was 5.8 percent. and the Pittsfield area saw a decline from 8.6 percent to 8 percent, compared to last October's 4.9 percent. More information can be found here.

Job gains were recorded in eight of the 12 areas for which unadjusted job estimates were published. The Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area added the most jobs and had the highest over-the-month percentage increase in jobs. Job losses were recorded in four areas. Over the year, all of the labor areas recorded increases in unemployment rates and job losses.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted October 2009 unemployment rate, released last week, dropped from 9.3 percent in September to 8.9 percent in October and the seasonally adjusted jobs estimate for October showed 900 job losses over the month. The unadjusted unemployment rates and jobs estimates for the labor markets may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

The November 2009 unemployment rate, labor-force data and survey of jobs for Massachusetts will be released on Dec. 17, 2009; local unemployment statistics will be released on Dec. 22.

www.mass.gov/lmi