Mass. unemployment down to 3% as education, health, science jobs grow
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Insulet's Acton headquarters
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development estimates the state added 6,600 jobs in February, with a majority of those gains coming in education and health services and the professional, scientific and business services sector.
Those gains led to the state’s unemployment rate dropping 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.0 percent.
Education and health services added 3,500 jobs for a 0.4 percent increase in February. That sector is growing at a 1.5-percent clip year over year.
Professional, scientific and business services saw a 1,100-job gain last month, good for a 0.2-percent increase. Those industries are growing at a 1.8-percent rate since February 2018.
The only industry with a decline in jobs last month was manufacturing, which saw a 1,100-job decrease. Manufacturing has lost 2,100 jobs since February 2018.
Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said the state’s unemployment rate has remained below 4 percent for 34 consecutive months.
“Our workforce development agencies remain committed to ensuring that all regions and communities in Massachusetts can better access our high demand job categories during this period of strong economic growth,” Acosta said.
Over the year, education, health services, professional, scientific and business services jobs have carried the state, adding more than 22,000 jobs.
However, almost every other private-sector industry except other services - with a gain of 1,000 - has lost jobs over the year.
Government jobs, however, have grown by 4,800 since February 2018 and 1,000 over last month, increases of 1.1 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.
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