MA Adds 6,100 Jobs in August

Saturday, September 22, 2018
GoLocalWorcester Business Team

The State of Massachusetts added 6,100 jobs in the month of August, while the unemployment rate stayed at 3.6%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday.

From August of 2017 to August of 2018, Massachusetts has added 68,100 jobs.

"The August estimates indicate the Commonwealth’s labor force and employment are at their highest levels while our unemployment rate remains consistently low - all indicators of the continuing positive economic outlook for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said.

Over the month, the private sector added 6,000 jobs as gains occurred in Education and Health Services; Leisure and Hospitality; Professional, Scientific, and Business Services; Information; Construction; and Financial Activities.

The labor force increased by 20,300 from 3,785,800 in July, as 18,800 more residents were employed and 1,500 more residents were unemployed over the month.

Unemployment Rate Stays at 3.6%

The August unemployment rate was 3.6%.

The state’s labor force participation rate is up three-tenths of a percentage point over the month at 67.6 percent. Compared to August 2017, the labor force participation rate is up 2.1 percentage points. 

The rate was three-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.9 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.