Mass. unemployment drops below 5% for first time since pandemic started
photo/GRANT WELKER
The Parkway Diner on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester created its own outdoor seating area in the first few months after restaurants were allowed to reopen in June 2020.
The Massachusetts unemployment rate in June dropped a tenth of a percentage point to 4.9% from the adjusted 5.0% in May, according to a Friday announcement from the state Executive office of Labor and Workforce Development.
The state is one percentage point below the national average of 5.9%.
Massachusetts’ rate is still nearly twice what it was before the coronavirus pandemic, when it was 2.9% in March 2020.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the state gained 9,400 jobs in June, a 200-job increase from last month. Since December, the state has gained more than 100,000 jobs.
Leisure and hospitality held its spot as the fastest growing sector this month, adding more than 3,000 jobs, with a 52% overall increase over the course of the year. Other top sectors are education and health services.
Labor force participation is up half a percentage point since June 2020 to now total 3.7 million profession
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