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 July were down in nineteen areas, up in the Fall River area, and unchanged in two areas. Over the year, the rates were up in fourteen areas, down in four areas and unchanged in four areas.
Statewide, the July seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, down 0.2 of a percentage point over the month. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was up 0.2 of a percentage point from the July 2012 rate of 7.0 percent.
In July, over the month job gains occurred in two of the twelve areas for which estimates are published. The two areas with job gains were Barnstable and Pittsfield. Over the year, ten of the twelve areas added jobs with the largest percentage gains in the Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, and New Bedford areas.
The seasonally adjusted statewide July unemployment rate, released on August 15th, was 7.2 percent, up 0.2 of a percentage point from the 7.0 recorded for June and up 0.4 of a percentage point from the 6.8 percent rate posted for July 2012. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 300 job gain in July following a revised loss of 2,100 jobs in June.
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.
