Mass. unemployment holds at 4.6 percent

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2015/07/17/mass-unemployment-holds-at-4-6-percent/

By Andy Metzger

The state added 10,500 jobs in June as the unemployment rate remained at 4.6 percent, according to numbers released Thursday morning.

The national unemployment rate dipped from May to June, falling from 5.5 percent to 5.3 percent.

“We are seeing very strong job growth. Not only are jobs continuing to grow in many sectors, we are seeing many more people entering the labor force, encouraged by the strong job growth,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said in a statement.

The labor force participation rate was up 0.9 percent compared to last June, while it dipped 0.2 percent from May to June.

According to the Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the state has gained jobs for 10 consecutive months and added 38,900 jobs over the last four months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised its preliminary May estimate of jobs added, from 7,400 to 5,200.

The Bay State’s unemployment rate has fallen significantly since the Great Recession when it hung for several months at 8.8 percent.

@COPYRIGHT STATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE