Unemployment in Greater Worcester declined in February, yet remained higher than the state’s average of 4.8%.
Greater Worcester’s unemployment rate was 5.2% in February, representing a 0.1-percentage-point dip from the month prior, according to the data released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development using information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In the city of Worcester specifically, the unemployment rate was 4.9% in February, representing a 0.2-percentage-point drop from January when unemployment was 5.1%.
With 104,328 residents employed and 5,399 unemployed, the city’s unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than in February 2025.
At 4.5%, Framingham had the lowest unemployment rate in February of the five metro and micropolitan areas in Central Massachusetts. The MetroWest city saw a 0.2-percentage-point drop in unemployment over the month and no change over the year.
Leominster’s unemployment rate was 5.7% in February, down 0.1 percentage points from 5.8% in January and up 0.1 points from 5.6% in February 2025.
Gardner saw the largest month-over-month decline, with its rate falling 0.3 percentage points from 6.7% in January to 6.4% in February. Like Leominster, its rate was 0.1 points higher than in February 2025.
At 6.7%, Athol recorded the highest unemployment rate among the five metro and micropolitan areas in Central Massachusetts. The town saw no change over the month but experienced a 0.8-percentage-point increase over the year.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare, manufacturing, and higher education industries.
