Mass. unemployment rate held steady at 4.8% in June
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The Massachusetts unemployment rate stayed at 4.8% in June.
Massachusetts employers shed 1,900 payroll jobs in June and the statewide unemployment rate remained flat at a level that continues to surpass the national average, according to new data published Friday.
The latest figures calculated based on a monthly survey of employers counted 3.727 million nonfarm jobs in Massachusetts last month, down from nearly 3.729 million in May.
With some month-to-month fluctuations along the way, total employment has increased by 4,700 positions over the last year, a nearly flat growth rate of about 0.1%.
The unemployment rate in Massachusetts remained unchanged at 4.8% in June, 0.8 percentage points above where it was in June 2024. The national unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a point to 4.1%, slightly increasing the gap between the Bay State and the country as a whole.
Labor officials typically calculate unemployment rates based on a monthly household survey and estimate total jobs numbers based on a separate survey of employers. The two Bureau of Labor Statistics sources sometimes produce divergent trends.
The Healey administration on Friday pointed to the overall employment estimate produced by the household survey -- a source officials tend not to use for raw jobs totals -- which instead counted an increase of 1,100 jobs month over month, not a decrease of 1,900.
"The labor market shows continued signs of resilience in the face of heightened uncertainty," said Mark Rembert, the chief economist in the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development's Department of Economic Research. "Initial unemployment insurance claims were down in June compared to the previous year, and job posting activity remains steady. While the data suggests a slowdown in the pace of hiring due to economic uncertainty, employers continue to seek new talent, and a growing number [of] Massachusetts residents are seeking employment opportunities."
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