BOSTON — Unemployment declined again across the state and was down about a half point from last year at this time. The Pittsfield metro area lost jobs in February, .3 percent, but its unadjusted unemployment rate is still lower than this time last year.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the February seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates were down in 19 labor market areas; up in one area, Fall River; and unchanged in Nantucket and Tisbury. Statewide, the February seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent, a decrease of 0.2 of a percentage point from the revised January rate of 8.9 percent.
 
Over-the-year, unemployment rates were lower in 20 of the 22 areas. The Amherst and Tisbury rates were up. Over-the-year, the state unadjusted unemployment rate was down 0.6 of a percentage point from the 9.3 percent rate in February 2010.
 
In February, over-the-month jobs gains occurred in four of the areas for which job estimates are published. They were Boston-Cambridge-Quincy; Springfield; New Bedford; and Worcester areas.  Over-the-year job gains were realized in 10 of the areas while two had a loss. Job gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Worcester, Springfield, New Bedford, Barnstable, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Haverhill-North-Andover-Amesbury, Framingham, Pittsfield and Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner areas.

The Peabody and Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford areas lost jobs.
 
The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate released on March 17 showed a 15,400 job gain. The seasonally adjusted statewide February unemployment rate of 8.2 percent was down 0.1 of a percentage point over-the-month and down 0.6 of a percentage point from the 8.8 percent rate in February 2010.  The Massachusetts statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remains well below the national rate of 8.9 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 March 2011 unemployment rate, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on April 14, 2011; local unemployment statistics will be released on April 19, 2011.  Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that the January seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates were up in all 22 labor-market areas, including Pittsfield, reflecting seasonal trends.

Statewide, the January seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 9.0 percent, an increase of 1.0 percentage point from the revised December rate of 8.0 percent. Despite adding jobs over January 2010, Pittsfield's unadjusted jobless rate is 9.3 percent and North Adams is 10.5. Both those rates are down fractionally over last year.
 
Over-the-year, unemployment rates were lower in 20 of the 22 areas. The Amherst and Tisbury rates were up. Over-the-year, the state unadjusted unemployment rate was down 0.6 of a percentage point from the 9.6 percent rate in January 2010.
 
In January seasonal influences resulted in over-the-month jobs losses in all 12 areas for which job estimates are published.  However, over-the-year job gains were realized in nine of the areas while three had a loss. Job gains occurred in the New Bedford, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Worcester; Barnstable, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Haverhill-North-Andover-Amesbury, Pittsfield, Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner and Springfield areas.  The Peabody, Framingham, and Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford areas lost jobs.
 
The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate released on March 3rd showed a 5,600 job gain. The commonwealth has added 33,800 jobs since December 2009. The seasonally adjusted statewide January unemployment rate of 8.3 percent was unchanged over-the-month and down 0.5 of a percentage point from the 8.8 percent rate in January 2010. The Massachusetts statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remains well below the national rate of 9.0 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.
 
NOTES: The local area unemployment rates and labor force data have been revised for 2010; the revised estimates for 2006 through 2009 will be published on March 29, 2011.  The labor area jobs data have been revised for 2009 and 2010.
 
The February 2011 unemployment rate, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on March 17, 2011; local unemployment statistics will be released on March 29, 2011.  Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi. See the revised February, 2011 Media Advisory annual schedule for complete listing of release dates also at www.mass.gov/lmi.

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Networking events, workshops and seminars for the month of March are listed below. Got an upcoming business event? Send it to info@iberkshires.com.

Registration is due March 1 for the free half-day workshop "Why and How to Apply Lean Thinking to Your Business," to be held Tuesday, March 8, from 8 a.m. to noon at Intermodal Education Center, 1 Columbus Ave., Pittsfield. The workshop, sponsored by the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership and Berkshire Community College, is open to CEOs and "change agents" working in any industry. To register, contact Beth Lapierre at 413-236-5251 or elapierr@berkshirecc.edu, or go here.
 
Berkshire Young Professionals, a program of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, invites all young professionals living and/or working in Berkshire County to attend its upcoming Networking Social on Thursday, March 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Firefly, located at 71 Church St., Lenox. The event is free to BYP membership cardholders and $5 to nonmembers. The event includes hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and a door prize drawing. To register, visit www.berkshirechamber.com/byp, e-mail choyt@berkshirechamber.com, or call all 413-499-4000, ext. 26.

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold a Chamber Night event at Catamount Ski Area, Route 23, South Egremont, on Friday, March 4, from 3 to 10 p.m. Lift tickets are $15 (lessons are available for $10) and must be purchased in advance at the chamber's Visitor Center, 362 Main St., Great Barrington, or the chamber's business office, at 40 Railroad St., Great Barrington. Call  413-528-1510 for more information.

The Lenox Chamber of Commerce will hold a general membership meeting on Thursday, March 10, at 6 p.m. at the Lenox Town Hall. The guest speaker will be Michael F. Gaetano of Tanglewood British Motorcar Festival. Details, participation information and more about the upcoming festival, scheduled for June 17-19, will be discussed. Other items to be discussed include a possible by-law change to allow outside businesses to become chamber members, events for the fall and holiday seasons, and new membership rewards and benefits. For more information, contact Ralph at 413-637-3646 or info@lenox.org.

The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will host a "Chamber Nite" event at Donovan Motorcar, 4 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, on Wednesday, March 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. Hors d'oevres will be served and a cash bar will be available. Registration suggested by March 11 to 413-499-4000, ext. 26, choyt@berkshirechamber.com or www.berkshirechamber.com.

Berkshire Creative will put on a SPARK! networking event on Wednesday, March 16, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Crissey Farm, Great Barrington. The free event, which includes a cash bar, is open to anyone in the creative field. RSVP here.

The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce will hold a "Networking Nite" at the Purple Pub, 65 Spring St., Williamstown, on Wednesday, March 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. RSVP to 413-458-9077 or info@williamstown.chamber.com.

Members of the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce are invited to attend a free seminar on email marketing, to be held on Tuesday, March 29, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Orchards Hotel, 222 Adams Road, Williamstown. The seminar will be presented by Kevin Ellingwood, Jeff Stripp and Allen Jezouit from Berkshire Direct. RSVP is required to Judy Giamborino at 413-458-9077 or info@williamstown.chamber.com.

Members of the Lenox Chamber of Commerce are invited to attend a free seminar on online marketing, presented by Kevin Ellingwood, Jeff Stripp and Allen Jezouit from Berkshire Direct, on Thursday, March 31, at La Terrazza Restaurant, located at the Gateways Inn, 51 Walker St., Lenox, at 6 p.m. Light appetizers and a cash bar will be available. RSVP by March 29 to 413-637-3646 or info@lenox.org.

ADAMS, Mass. — Aladco is the latest business to go green.

The linen company installed a new $700,000 washer expected to reduce water usage by 84 percent. The company tore out the equpment it had been using for 50 years and retrofitted its  19th-century Commercial Street building for the modern technology.

"It's really cool to see an old building get a third or fourth life," Kevin Ellingwood, the company's public relations spokesman, said. "This has been in the works for a year or so."

The Pulse-Flow washing system replaces four washing machines that held 400 pounds of laundry each with a conveyor belt system. Every three minutes, workers load 50-pound batches onto the corkscrewlike belt. The batches then go through the various steps of a wash.

"It took them a little while to get efficient using the machine. Workers used to just load it in and go get a coffee or something," Ellingwood said. "It will result in significant savings."

Previously Aladco used 10 washing machines that used 2.5 gallons of water per pound of laundry, using 1.5 million gallons of water per month. The new system uses .4 gallons of water per pound – reducing the monthly usage to 250,000 gallons. Additionally, the less water used, the less gas and electricity are required to heat it.

Berkshire Gas contributed a $50,000 rebate to Aladco for the project.

"The projected savings for this project of over 67,000 therms and nearly 1.7 million therms over the life of the equipment, are impressive, to say the least. To put this into perspective, the annual savings from this one project equates to the amount of natural gas needed to heat approximately 70 homes per year," Michael Sommer, manager of energy services at Berkshire Gas, said in a press release.

According to Ellingwood, Aladco is the first hospitality linen rental facility in the nation to make the change.

Additionally, Aladco recently introduced three new eco-friendly products: a lint–free microfiber wiping towel, microfiber mop system and the Environap, an alternative to disposable napkins for the same cost.

The company provides table and kitchen linens, bed linens, uniforms, entrance mats and dust control to restaurants, hotels, motels, hospital, medical service providers and schools and colleges.

More information on Aladco here.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — One week after showing no movement, gasoline prices in Massachusetts are back up this week, the ninth week out of the last 10 in which prices have risen, according to AAA Southern New England.

AAA's Feb. 7 survey of prices in Massachusetts found self-serve, regular unleaded averaging $3.119 per gallon, one cent higher than last week. The current price is a penny below the national average for self-serve unleaded of $3.12. A year ago at this time, the Massachusetts average price was $2.65.

The range in prices in the latest AAA survey for unleaded regular is 26 cents, from a low of $2.99 to a high of $3.25. AAA advises motorists to shop around for the best prices in their area, and to make sure they and their passengers buckle up — every time.

Find the most up-to-date local gas prices with the AAA Fuel Finder by logging onto AAA.com and clicking on Gas Saving Tips & Tools.