BOSTON – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary July 2012 estimates show that Massachusetts added 1,600 jobs over the month, for a total of 3,249,300 jobs. The July job gain follows a revised gain of 600 jobs in June. The total unemployment rate rose slightly from 6.0 percent in June to 6.1 percent in July.
Four of the ten private sectors added jobs in July: the largest gain was in Education and Health Services. Professional, Scientific and Business Services, Construction, and Manufacturing also added jobs.
Year to date, Massachusetts added 37,500 jobs; the private sector added 38,900 jobs. Over the year, the Bay State added 42,800 jobs; the private sector added 45,700 jobs. The unemployment rate is down 1.3 percentage points from the July 2011 rate of 7.4 percent.
Employment Overview
Education and Health Services gained 4,000 (+0.6%) jobs over the month. Educational Services added 2,500 (+1.6%) jobs and Health Care and Social Assistance gained 1,500 (+0.3%) jobs. Over the year, Education and Health Services added 7,900 (+1.2%) jobs.
Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 1,000 (+0.2%) jobs over the month, the sector’s thirteenth monthly gain. Over the year, the sector added 27,300 (+5.8%) jobs due mostly to growth in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, which added 14,900 (+5.8%) jobs. Administrative, Support, and Waste Management and Management of Companies also had significant gains over the year with 11,200 (+7.0%) jobs.
Construction gained 900 (+0.9%) jobs over the month. Over the year, the sector lost 3,900 (-3.6%) jobs.
Manufacturing added 100 (0.0%) jobs over the month as the gain in Durable Goods outweighed the loss in Non-Durable Goods. Over the year Manufacturing has added 1,600 (+0.6%) jobs.
Information employment remained unchanged over the month. Over the year, the sector added 2,300 (+2.7%) jobs.
Leisure and Hospitality lost 1,600 (-0.5%) jobs over the month as both components recorded a loss. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality gained 600 (+0.2%) jobs.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 1,100 (-0.2%) jobs over the month due to losses in Retail Trade. Year to date, the sector added 8,900 (+1.6%) jobs. Over the year, the sector added 11,700 (+2.1%) jobs with most of the growth in Retail Trade which gained 6,700 (+2.0%) jobs.
Other Services lost 1,100 (-0.9%) jobs over the month. Over the year, the sector lost 700 (-0.6%) jobs.
Financial Activities lost 1,000 (-0.5%) jobs with losses in both components. Over the year, the sector has lost 1,000 (-0.5%) jobs.
Mining and Logging employment lost 100 (-9.1%) jobs both over the month and over the year.
Government gained 500 (+0.1%) jobs over the month. State Government posted a 600 (+0.5%) jobs gain over the month while Federal government added 100 (+0.2%) jobs. Local Government lost 200 (-0.1%) jobs. Over the year, Government lost 2,900 (-0.7%) jobs.
Labor Force Overview
The July 2012 estimates show 3,240,400 Massachusetts residents were employed and 211,000 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,451,300. Over the month, 4,200 more residents were unemployed and 13,900 fewer residents were employed. Since the unemployment rate peaked at 8.7 percent in October 2009, there are 79,900 more residents employed and 90,000 fewer residents unemployed. Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers.
