Massachusetts Added 6,700 Jobs In August; Unemployment Rate Held At 2.9%

Massachusetts employers added 6,700 jobs during August and the unemployment rate held at 2.9%, state labor officials reported Friday morning.

"Massachusetts continues to experience strong job growth with an unemployment rate which has been at or below 3 percent for seven consecutive months. Job gains have been concentrated in key economic areas like education and health services, which added 12,600 over the year and professional, scientific, and business services, which has added 8,900 jobs during that time frame," Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said in a statement.

The state's labor force participation rate measures the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks. It remained at 67.6% in August, down two-tenths of a percentage point from August 2018.

Massachusetts employers added 43,600 jobs in the one-year period ending in August.