Greater Worcester unemployment trended downward in June
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As Greater Worcester’s unemployment continues to yo-yo, the region’s rate dropped in June.
After jumping 0.5 percentage points to 5.3% in May, Greater Worcester’s unemployment rate began its downward trajectory in June, falling 0.4 percentage points to 4.9%, according to the data released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, using information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The region saw 452,161 individuals employed last month, 2,246 more than in May, and 23,438 unemployed, 1,904 fewer than in May.
The city of Worcester specifically experienced a 0.3-percentage point decrease in unemployment in June, with its rate falling to 5.2%. While that figure represented a 0.3-percentage-point decrease over the month, it was 0.5 percentage points higher than in June 2024 when unemployment sat at 4.7%.
With a rate of 4.2%, Framingham had the lowest unemployment rate of the five metropolitan areas in Central Massachusetts. The city experienced a 0.5-percentage-point dip from its rate of 4.7% in May but was 0.8 percentage points higher than June 2024’s rate of 3.5%.
Leominster’s unemployment rate was 4.8% in June, reflecting a 0.5-percentage-point drop over the month. Like the region as a whole, Leominster’s rate was still higher than in June 2024 when its unemployment rate was 4.3%.
At 6.0%, Gardner has the highest unemployment rate in Central Massachusetts and was the only city whose rate remained unchanged from May to June. Its unemployment figure last month was 1.1 percentage points higher than its 4.9% rate of June 2024.
Athol’s unemployment rate dipped from 6.0% in May to 5.7% in June, which is 1 percentage point higher than its 4.7% figure of June last year.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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