As the state unemployment rate ticked down to 6.5 percent in February, revised jobs numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that more jobs were created in the Bay State January than initially estimated, bringing employment numbers above pre-recession levels.
According to the BLS and the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, there are now 3,318,500 jobs in the state, compared to 3,304,300 in April 2008.
The January revisions show that 18,900 jobs were created in that month, compared to the initially estimated 16,100.
For February, initial estimates show 500 jobs were created, with five of the state’s 10 economic sectors adding jobs. So far this year, the state has had a net gain of 57,600 jobs.
The largest gains in February came from the professional, scientific and business services sector which added 3,200 jobs. Next was construction, which saw the addition of 1,400 jobs, followed by other services, which was up by 900 jobs. Financial activities gained 700 positions during the month.
The sectors with the biggest losses were education and health services (3,600), leisure and hospitality (2,400) and manufacturing (1,700).
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