Massachusetts had one of the largest decreases in unemployment in March, falling 0.4 percentage points to 4.3%.Â
March’s number marks a drop from 4.7% in February and from 6.4 in March 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report on Friday.
The state’s unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points above the national rate of 3.6%, which declined 0.2 percentage points over the month.
Massachusetts had the fifth largest month-over-month decrease in unemployment in the country. It had the third-highest job gains, as well, adding 21,000 new jobs in March. The job growth marks a 0.6% increase since February and a 5.4% growth since this time last year.
The labor force grew by roughly 2,700 in March, as 18,000 more residents were employed and 15,300 fewer residents were unemployed. The labor force participation rate has not seen the same year-over-year growth as unemployment; it has grown 0.8 percentage points since March 2021.
The sectors with the most jobs added in March were professional and business services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.
