Massachusetts Unemployment Rate in August Down Five Percent

BOSTON – The total unemployment rate in August in Massachusetts was 11.3 percent, which was down nearly five percent from July, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ estimates that the state added over 51,000 jobs last month, with most gains occurring in the Education and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality and Trade and Transportation fields.

The one loss occurred in the Financial Activities field.

From August 2019 to August 2020, BLS estimates Massachusetts lost more than 403,000 jobs. 

Losses occurred a number of private sectors, with the largest percentage losses in Leisure and Hospitality, Construction and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities. 

The August unemployment rate was 2.9 percentage points above the national rate of 8.4 percent. 

The state’s labor force participation rate – the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks – dropped to 62.6 percent.

Compared to August 2019, the labor force participation rate is down by 5.2 percentage points.  

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