Unemployment in Central Massachusetts fell markedly in February and is down from February of last year, the Patrick administration said today.
Greater Worcester’s seasonally unadjusted jobless rate fell from 7.6 to 7.3 percent over the month, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. That’s well below the 7.9 percent unemployment rate recorded in February 2013.
MetroWest also experienced a drop in employment, from 5.6 to 5.4 percent, in February, with the rate lower than the 5.8 percent measured 12 months earlier.
Meanwhile, North Central Massachusetts saw joblessness decline from 9.3 to 9.0 percent, well below the 9.8 percent unemployment rate in February 2013.
Statewide, unemployment in February 2014 was 6.8 percent, 0.3 lower than January. Over the year, joblessness fell 0.6 percent from 7.4 percent.
The number of people employed last month rose by 1,119 in Greater Worcester, 523 in the Framingham area and 373 in the Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner area. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed in these areas dropped by 941, 380 and 235, respectively.
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