BOSTON – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that the November 2012 seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates were down in eleven areas; unchanged in four areas; and up in seven areas over the month. Over the year, the rates are down in eighteen areas; two areas went up; and two areas were unchanged.
Statewide, the November seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.1 percent, down 0.1 of a percentage point. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 0.3 of a percentage point from the November 2011 unadjusted rate of 6.4 percent.
In November 2012, over the month job gains occurred in six of the twelve areas for which estimates are published. The largest job gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Framingham, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Worcester, Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner and Pittsfield areas. Jobs remained unchanged in the New Bedford area. The five remaining areas each recorded a job loss.
Over the year, eleven of the twelve areas added jobs with the largest percentage gains in the New Bedford, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner and Peabody areas.
The seasonally adjusted statewide November unemployment rate, released on December 20th, was 6.6 percent, unchanged over the month and down 0.4 of a percentage point from the 7.0 percent rate recorded in November 2011. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 1,100 job loss over the month.
The labor force, unemployment rates and jobs estimates, for Massachusetts and for every other state, are based on 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.
