Mass. is the only state whose unemployment rate went up in November

In November, only one state in America had a rising unemployment rate: Massachusetts.

From October to November, 48 states and Washington, D.C. saw declining unemployment rates, while Alabama’s rate stayed the same, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, released Friday morning.

[UPDATE: On Jan. 21, Massachusetts’ unemployment rate in November was revised to 5.2%, meaning no state, including Massachusetts, saw an unemployment increase in November.]

The unemployment rate in Massachusetts, meanwhile, rose another 0.1 percentage point to 5.4%, marking the fourth consecutive month of increased unemployment. 

Nationally, the unemployment rate didn’t increase in November, staying at 4.2%.

While the Massachusetts unemployment rate has been trending upward, the state had the third largest year-over-year drop in the country, decreasing 3.0 percentage points from last November’s 8.4 rate.

State unemployment rose from 4.9% to 5.0% in August and has increased by 0.1 or 0.2 percentage points every month since. It plateaued at a pandemic low of 4.9% in June and July.

Massachusetts also had one of the largest year-over-year job increases with a 5.8% growth. The state added 16,800 jobs in November, a 0.5% increase from October.