Mass. unemployment rate dropped to 6.5% in April
Photo | Grant Welker
Customers and workers inside B.T.'s Fried Chicken and BBQ in Worcester.
The unemployment rate in Massachusetts ticked down 0.2 percentage points to 6.5% in April, continuing the steady decline from the high rates since the state of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the data released Friday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A year ago, the unemployment rate shot up to 16.4% in April 2020, as the first economic impacts of the pandemic were felt in the state. The rate has been on a steady decline since -- even as Massachusetts had the highest unemployment rate in the nation for in June and July -- to the pandemic low of 6.5% in April.
The rate is still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. In March 2020, the unemployment rate was 2.7%, and this April's rate of 6.5% is the highest non-pandemic rate since October 2013.
The national unemployment rate in April was 6.1%.
In April, Massachusetts gained 5,100 jobs, following the 14,800 added to the economy in March and the 77,500 jobs since December.
The biggest industry to gain jobs in the state is the professional, scientific and business services sector with 4,500 in April, while the health and education industry and the trade, transportation, and utilities industry had the worst April, with 1,100 jobs lost each.
Since April 2020, the Massachusetts economy has gained 392,300 jobs, with the leisure and hospitality industry having the largest gain of 119,600 jobs, a 76% growth in the sector.
Local unemployment rates for cities like Worcester and Fitchburg will be released on Tuesday. In March, Worcester's unemployment rate was 7.6% while Fitchburg's was 9.4%.
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