Mass. unemployment rate hit lowest level in 19 years
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UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce on Friday announced April’s unemployment rate was down from 3.0% in March to 2.9% in April, which is the lowest rate since December 2000.
Massachusetts added 4,100 jobs in the private sector in the month of April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. From April 2018 to April 2019, BLS estimates Massachusetts added 37,100 jobs.
Gains occurred in professional, scientific, and business services; information; construction; and education and health services. Manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities, and leisure and hospitality lost jobs throughout the month.
BLS estimates construction; professional, scientific and business services; and education and health services accounted for 6,300 jobs. Over the year, education and health services gained 12,900 jobs.
Massachusetts’ unemployment rate is 0.7% lower than the national average. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped 0.6%.
“Preliminary estimates indicate that in April the Massachusetts unemployment rate fell below 3% for the first time since December of 2000. Year to date the commonwealth’s economy has added 25,400 jobs showing that even with a low 2.9% unemployment rate, Massachusetts employers continue to add jobs to help fuel their growth needs,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta, in a press release.
Acosta’s office reported the labor force decreased by 3,200 from 3,843,500 in March. A total of 1,600 fewer residents were employed and 1,600 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The state’s labor force participation rate decreased 0.1% to 67.8%. Compared to April 2018, the labor force participation rate is up 0.4%.
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