August 20, 2020
After brief reprieve, Mass. sees rise again in weekly unemployment
Photo | Grant Welker
Shangri-La, a restaurant on Front Street in downtown Worceser, is among those that have closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
By Grant Welker
Massachusetts made it only two straight weeks with improving numbers in new unemployment claims before moving in the wrong direction again last week.
New claims totaled 16,709, up 13% from the week prior, according to new data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. National numbers were also up, by 14%, to hit more than 1.1 million. The prior week was the first time since mid-March that national weekly numbers fell below 1 million.
Massachusetts numbers have generally been on a gradual decline over the summer, improving from a high point in March but remaining multitudes higher than during a normal week before the pandemic. A year ago, the state had just over 4,000 weekly claims.
Total new claims since mid-March have been highest in Massachusetts in food and accommodation (161,393), health and social assistance (148,213) and retail (142,900).
Massachusetts had the nation's highest unemployment rate in June, at 17.5%. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is due to release state-by-state rates for July on Friday.
The Worcester metropolitan area's unemployment rate in June was 15.8%.
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