Press Release  Latest Seasonally Unadjusted Unemployment and Job Estimates for Local Labor Markets in Massachusetts

Boston, MA — Local unemployment rates dropped in twenty-four labor market areas, in the state during the month of March, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported.

Compared to March 2021, the rates were down in twenty-four labor market areas.

Of the fifteen areas for which estimates are published, fourteen areas gained jobs and one area had no changes. The largest percentage increases Boston-Cambridge-Newton (+0.8%), Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford (+0.8%), Framingham (+0.7%) and Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead (+0.7%) areas.

From March 2021 to March 2022, all fifteen areas gained jobs with the largest percentage increases seen in Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead (+6.1%), Springfield (+6.0%), Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford (+5.9%) and Boston-Cambridge-Newton (+5.9%) areas.

In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide-unadjusted unemployment rate for March 2022 was 3.8 percent, down 0.5 percentage point over the month.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of March 2022 was 4.3 percent, a decrease of four-tenths of a percentage point from the February 2022 estimate of 4.7 percent.

The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed an increase of 21,000 jobs in March, and an over-the-year gain of 186,400 jobs.

The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

NOTES: The preliminary April 2022 and the revised March 2022 unemployment rates, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Friday, May 20, 2022; local unemployment statistics will be released on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi. See the 2022 Media Advisory for complete list of release dates.

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