NEW: Mass Loses 4,800 Jobs in August

Thursday, September 20, 2012

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Massachusetts lost 4,800 jobs over the month of August, for a total of 3,243,200 jobs, according to a release from Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary estimates.

The August job loss follows a revised gain of 300 jobs in July.

The total unemployment rate inched up from 6.1 percent in July to 6.3 percent in August. The unemployment rate is down 1.1 percentage points from the August 2011 rate of 7.4 percent. The three-month average seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate was 6.1 percent and the six-month average was 6.2 percent.

Year to date jobs are up 31,400 with private sector jobs up 29,900.

Over the year, August 2011 to August 2012, jobs are up 40,200. Private sector jobs are up 41,000, for a growth rate of 1.5 percent with gains in six of the ten sectors.