HYANNIS – The unemployment rate continues to drop on the Cape and the Islands and across the state.
The Massachusetts Executive office of Labor and Workforce Development Department of Unemployment Assistance has released unemployment figures for December.
In Barnstable County, the unemployment rate last month was down to 4.2 percent, compared to 6.8 percent in December of 2015.
Executive Director of the Cape & Islands Workforce Investment Board David Augustinho said the numbers indicate how strong the economy is.
“Last week, the new unemployment claims were the lowest it’s been since 1973, again that’s twice in the last four months that we’ve had historic low numbers for new unemployment claims,” said Augustinho.
The statewide unemployment rate was 2.8 percent in December which was down from 4.6 percent in December of 2015.
The unemployment rate for Bristol County was 3.5 percent in March which was down over two percent from a year ago.
Plymouth County’s unemployment rate is close to the state average at 2.9 percent compared to 4.8 percent last December.
Augustinho also said more people are working in Barnstable County.
“When you look at our employment, we have a little less than 3,000 more people working than at the same time last year, when our labor force is about the same size, so that’s why the number is what it is,” said Augustinho.
Unemployment is under six percent on the Islands.
Dukes County unemployment is down to 5.1 percent. The rate was 8.7 percent in December of 2015.
The rate on Nantucket was 4.8 percent last month compared to 7.3 percent last month and in March of 2015.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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