BOSTON – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for August were down in twenty areas, up in one area, and unchanged in one area. Over the year, the rates were up in thirteen areas, down in four areas and unchanged in five areas.
Statewide, the August seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.8 percent, down 0.4 of a percentage point over the month. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was up 0.1 of a percentage point from the August 2012 rate of 6.7 percent.
In August, over the month job gains occurred in the Worcester labor area, the remaining eleven areas for which estimates are published lost jobs. Over the year, nine of the twelve areas added jobs with the largest percentage gains in the Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, and Framingham areas.
The seasonally adjusted statewide August unemployment rate, released on September 19t was 7.2 percent, unchanged from July and up 0.4 of a percentage point from the 6.8 percent rate posted for August 2012. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 7,500 job gain in August following a revised loss of 300 jobs in July.
The labor force, unemployment rates and jobs estimates for Massachusetts, and for every other state, are based on several different statistical methodologies specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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.
