MA Loses 6,100 Jobs in January, Unemployment Rate at 3.5%

Sunday, March 11, 2018

GoLocalWorcester Business Team

Massachusetts lost 6,100 jobs in the month of January, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

Over the month, the private sector lost 4,200 jobs; although gains occurred in Professional, Scientific, and Business Services; Information; and Other Services.

From January 2017 to January 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates Massachusetts has added 29,000 jobs.

Unemployment Rate Stays at 3.5%

The state’s total unemployment rate stated at 3.5% during the month of January.

The January unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force increased by 2,200 from 3,657,300 in December, as 3,900 more residents were employed and 1,700 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.

“Massachusetts continues to experience a low unemployment rate and labor force expansions. While the overall health of our economy remains strong, and 2017 marked the 8th consecutive year of job growth, persistent skills gaps remain. That is why our workforce development partners remain committed to ensuring that those who are still unemployed or underemployed have access to the training resources they need to access high demand jobs,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta.

The state’s labor force participation rate remained at 65.3 percent.

The labor force participation rate over the year has decreased by 0.2 percentage point compared to January 2017.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9 percent in January of 2017.