Massachusetts unemployment dropped slightly in January

The Massachusetts unemployment rate in January was 3.6%, down from December’s revised estimate of 3.7%.

Overall Massachusetts gained 19,600 jobs in January and 117,200 jobs year-over-year, according to a Friday press release from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Management.

The largest industry gains were in education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; and leisure and hospitality.

The January unemployment rate of 3.6% was two-tenths of a percentage point above the national rate of 3.4% reported by BLS.  

The labor force increased by an estimated 3,900 from 3,726,400 in December, with 8,100 more residents employed, and 4,200 fewer residents unemployed over the month. 

Compared to January 2022, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.4 percentage points.

The Friday release of the January unemployment data came the same day BLS said U.S. employers added 311,000 jobs in February, another sign of a strong labor market in the economy, despite concerns about a possible recession.