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State Unemployment Rate, Jobs Down in September
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The rate is lower than the national jobless rate of 9.1.
Preliminary September job estimates show a decrease of 2,300 jobs for a total of 3,231,700 jobs in Massachusetts. The September job loss follows a revised 10,500 job loss in August, previously reported as a loss of 8,900 jobs.
In September, Information; Professional, Scientific, and Business Services; Education and Health Services; and Manufacturing posted over-the-month job gains.
Year-to-date (December 2010 to September 2011), 37,900 jobs have been added in the Bay State with 43,800 private sector jobs added. Over-the-year (September 2010 to September 2011), jobs are up 48,700, for a growth rate of 1.5 percent. Private sector jobs are up 53,800, for a growth rate of 2.0 percent with gains in nine of the 10 sectors. Over-the-year, the national rate of job growth is 1.1 percent with private sector job growth up 1.7 percent.
The largest job gains over the month were in Information (5,200); the biggest losses were in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (3,500).
Local area unemployment statistics for September 2011 will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 25. The full press release is here.
Cosmetics Maker Iredale Featured on White House Blog
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South County's Iredale was one of a half-dozen small-business owners and entrepreneurs featured on the blog, which also included veterans, teachers, the unemployed and others rolled out as examples of how the ambitious bill would help create jobs.
According to Iredale, the proposal to pump $447 billion into the economy will put more money into her 160 workers' pockets. "Cutting my company's payroll taxes in half will allow me to put those gains back into the company to aid with growth," she says on the blog.
Said the White House, "By understanding the power of proper marketing, Iredale pitched and sold her products to dermatologists, plastic surgeons and skin care specialists who understood its value. This innovative thinking and business-savvy resulted in skyrocketing sales, both in the U.S. and overseas. In addition to providing jobs for her 160 full-time employees, Iredale’s business invigorates the economy throughout the Berkshires in Massachusetts, as over 1,000 people visit her offices for meetings and trainings each year."
While Iredale's expansion into the old Bryant schoolhouse was applauded throughout Berkshire County, the president's having a tougher time getting his creation through Congress. Late Tuesday, Senate Democrats failed to break a filibuster delaying debate on the measure. It's expected to be an even harder sell in the Republican-controlled House.
Pittsfield Jobless Rate at 7 Percent
BOSTON — Pittsfield saw its seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate drop to 7 percent during the month of July, compared to 7.8 percent jobless rate statewide.
The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported Tuesday that the July seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates were down not only in Pittsfield but also in the Framingham, Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Peabody, Barnstable, Amherst, Great Barrington, Nantucket and Tisbury areas; unchanged in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Worcester and North Adams areas and up in the remaining 10 areas.
The Pittsfield area also had the largest over-the-year growth rate at 5.4 percent followed by the Worcester area, at 3.7 percent.
In Pittsfield, out of a work force of 41,773, 38,830 were employed. The metropolitan area had a jobless rate of 7.3 in June; a year ago, the rate was 7.9 compared to the statewide jobless rate of 8.5
Great Barrington jobless rate was 5.4 percent, down from 5.6 in June and 6.0 from a year ago.
North Adams remained the same at 8.8 percent, although that is still down from 9.4 percent a year ago. Some 1,554 were out of work in July out of a work force of 17,647.
Statewide, the July seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.8 percent.
Over-the-year, unemployment rates were lower in 21 areas and unchanged in one area. The state unadjusted unemployment rate was down 0.7 of a percentage point from the 8.5 percent rate in July 2010.
The Barnstable and Pittsfield areas had continued strong seasonal job growth rates at 3.6 and 3.2 percent respectively. Over-the-month, Other Services jobs increased in all 12 areas, while Leisure and Hospitality jobs increased in eight of the areas.
The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate released on Aug. 18 showed a 12,700 job gain. The seasonally adjusted statewide July unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.6 percent for the third consecutive month and was down 0.8 of a percentage point from the 8.4 percent rate recorded in July 2010. The Massachusetts statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remains well below the national rate of 9.1 percent.
The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.
The August 2011 unemployment rate, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Sept. 15, 2011; local unemployment statistics will be released on Sept. 20, 2011. For more information: www.mass.gov/lmi.
| Tags: unemployment |
Berkshire Unemployment Rate Down
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The latest state jobless rates show Berkshire County falling within the state average for the month of June with a seasonally unadjusted rate of 7.3 percent.
The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development is reporting a seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate for June of 7.8 percent, up 0.4 of a percentage point from the revised May rate of 7.4 percent. A statement from the office says that reflects seasonal increases in the number of residents entering and re-entering the labor force.
Berkshire County overall added more than 2,000 jobs over the month of May, and has 1,300 fewer jobless claims than January of this year. The county also is down from January's unemployment rate of 9.2 and has seen a decrease of more than a point from last year's average unemployment rate of 8.2.
Good news, but still far from 2000's average jobless rate of 2.9 percent. The following data is taken from the EOLWD site.
Berkshire County WIA
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| Tags: unemployment, statistics |
State Jobless Holds Steady at 7.6%
BOSTON — The state's unemployment remains well below the national average at 7.6 percent, according to the latest statistics from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
Preliminary June job estimates show 3,235,100 jobs in the state, an increase of 10,400 jobs, with 10,300 jobs added in the private sector. The state's jobless rate has remained steady at 7.6 percent for two consecutive months; the national rate is 9.2 percent. Both the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed residents are the lowest since February 2009.
Six of the 10 private sectors added jobs in June with the largest over-the-month gains in Manufacturing followed by: Construction; Professional, Scientific and Business Services; Leisure and Hospitality; Financial Activities; and Educational and Health Services. June's monthly gain follows a revised May monthly loss of 4,100 jobs statewide and a 1,300 job loss in the private sector.
Since March, the state has added 26,600 jobs (up 0.8 percent) with a gain of 30,300 jobs ( up 1.1 percent) in the private sector. Also in this timeframe, Construction; Manufacturing; Information; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and Accommodation and Food Services have all posted solid job gains.
Over-the-year (June 2010 to June 2011), jobs are up 50,000, for a growth rate of 1.6 percent. Private-sector jobs are up 60,300, for a growth rate of 2.2 percent, with gains in eight of the ten sectors. Over-the-year, the national rate of job growth is 0.8 percent with private-sector job growth up 1.6 percent.
The June estimates show 3,224,100 Massachusetts residents were employed and 263,800 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,487,900. The labor force decreased by 9,400 from 3,497,300 in May, as 7,700 fewer residents were employed and 1,700 fewer residents were unemployed over-the-month. Since October 2009, there are 55,700 more residents employed and 40,600 fewer residents unemployed as the labor force expanded by 15,100. Totals for June may not add exactly because of rounding.
The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households, while the job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics for June exhibit different trends.
Jobless rates for local areas will be released on July 26. Read the full press release here.
| Tags: unemployment |
