The Framingham area saw the greatest January increase in jobs of any Massachusetts metropolitan area, according to state data.
The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that employment in the area rose 1.4 percent in January, an increase of 2,100 jobs compared to January 2007. Jobs increased by 0.7 percent in the state as a whole. The Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner area saw a loss of 100 jobs, or 0.2 percent. The Worcester area gained 1,300 jobs, a 0.5 percent increase.
The state also saw a decline in the unemployment rate in January, from 5.5 percent last year to 5.2 percent. Unemployment dropped in most Central Massachusetts areas as well. The one exception was the Athol area, where it rose from 6.1 percent to 6.7 percent.
