The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported today that the unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in December from the revised November rate of 8.7 percent. The Massachusetts rate remains below the national unemployment rate, which was 10.0 percent in December, the same as the November rate.
In Massachusetts, Education and Health Services; Government; Other Services; Manufacturing; and Financial Activities added jobs in December, while Trade, Transportation and Utilities; Leisure and Hospitality; Construction; Professional, Scientific and Business Services; and Information recorded job losses. Jobs were down 8,400 for the month of December. At 3,164,000, jobs are down 66,200 or 2.0 percent from one year ago. |