Massachusetts Logs Highest Unemployment Rate in the Nation for June

 The state’s June total unemployment rate is up eight-tenths of a percentage point at 17.4 percent following a revision to the May rate of 16.6 percent, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday.

It is the highest unemployment rate in the nation. 

The national unemployment rate for June was 11.1 percent. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 83,700 jobs in June. This follows last month’s revised gain of 55,000 jobs. Over the month, the private sector added 97,300 jobs as gains occurred in Leisure and Hospitality; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities; Construction; Professional, Scientific, and Business Services; Education and Health Services; Manufacturing; and Other Services. Losses occurred in Financial Activities and Information.

Government lost jobs over the month.

From June 2019 to June 2020, BLS estimates Massachusetts lost 529,800 jobs. 

Losses occurred in each of the private sectors, with the largest percentage losses in Leisure and Hospitality; Other Services; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities; and Construction. 

The June unemployment rate was 6.3 percentage points above the national rate of 11.1 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The labor force increased by 130,800 from 3,540,900 in May, as 79,200 more residents were employed and 51,600 more residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 14.5 percentage points.

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 – increased to 64.9 percent. Compared to June 2019, the labor force participation rate is down by 2.7 percentage points. 

For the most current week in July, From July 5 to July 11, Massachusetts had 23,535 individuals file an initial claim for regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) a decrease of 3,084 over the previous week, the fifth consecutive week of decline. From March 15 to July 11, a total of 1,107,650 have filed an initial claim for regular UI.  For the fourth week in a row, continued UI claims at 527,307 were down 7,894 or 1.5 percent over the previous week.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims filed for the week ending July 11, at 12,832, were slightly less than the previous week. Since April 20, 2020, 664,046 claimants have filed an initial claim for the PUA.  

The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provided up to 13 weeks of extended benefits, was implemented on May 21.  For the week ending July 11, 4,689 PEUC initial claims were filed bringing the total of PEUC filings to 70,356 since implementation.

June 2020 Employment Overview

•Leisure and Hospitality gained 29,500 (+18.8%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality lost 192,100 (-50.8%) jobs.

•Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 27,900 (+6.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation and Utilities lost 87,600 (-15.2%) jobs.

•Construction gained 19,700 (+16.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction has lost 21,500 (-13.3%) jobs.

•Professional, Scientific and Business Services added 7,600 (+1.4%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific and Business Services lost 33,000 (-5.5%) jobs.

•Education and Health Services gained 5,900 (+0.8%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Education and Health Services lost 83,300 (-10.3%) jobs. 

•Manufacturing added 5,500 (+2.4%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing lost 13,200 (-5.4%) jobs.

•Other Services gained 4,100 (+4.4%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Other Services are down 41,700 (-30.0%) jobs.

•Information lost 1,200 (-1.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Information lost 2,600 (-2.8%) jobs.

•Financial Activities lost 1,600 (-0.7%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Financial Activities lost 4,600 (-2.1%) jobs.

•Government lost 13,600 (-3.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government lost 49,900 (-10.9%) jobs.

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