Around New England

Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Drops Despite Job Losses

January 25, 2020

December was not a good month for jobs in Massachusetts, despite a dropping unemployment rate.

As MassLive reports, the state’s unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percent in December down to 2.8 percent.

However, during that same time, the state lost 5,000 jobs. About 4,500 of those jobs were in Professional, Scientific and Business Services; Manufacturing; Financial Activities; Education and Health Services; and Other Services.

Even when factoring in this loss, Massachusetts gained 44,800 jobs from December 2018 to December 2019.

In that time span, the unemployment rate dropped by seven-tenths of a percent from 3.5 percent to 2.8 percent.

“Preliminary job estimates indicate that Massachusetts added nearly 45,000 jobs in 2019,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta wrote in a press release, according to MassLive.com. “Education and Health Services once again led the way, posting a 23,900 gain, which accounted for 1 out every 2 jobs added in the Commonwealth last year. The statewide unemployment rate remained low – finishing at 2.8%. And the labor force participation rate held steady at 67.8%, 4.7% above the national average.”