Cape Cod Unemployment Rate Drops as Seasonal Hiring Picks Up

HYANNIS – The unemployment rate on Cape Cod continues to drop. The rate for Barnstable County was 4.6 percent in April – down from 4.9 percent last year and 6.4 percent in March.

Cape and Islands Workforce Development Board Executive Director David Augustinho said seasonal hiring for the region is picking up.

“I remember days when they used to say 5 percent unemployment was full employment and it certainly is that and better,” Augustinho said.

“If this is April, what the heck are we going to be like in June and July.”

The rate for Martha’s Vineyard remained the same from last year at 5.2 percent, but dropped from 8.2 percent in March. Nantucket’s rate fell from 9.6 percent in March to 5.2 percent.

Augustinho said the low unemployment will most likely hurt employers seeking seasonal workforce throughout the summer.

“The general economy being as strong as it is I think there are a lot of people working full-time year-round who might have been available for summer work who just aren’t right now,” he said.

The unemployment rate for Plymouth County was down from 3.8 percent last year to 3.4 percent in April. The month-to-month rate also dropped from 4.1 percent in March.

Overall unemployment in Massachusetts in April was 3.3 percent.

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