Mass. Unemployment Rate Is Down To 3.6 Percent

The Massachusetts unemployment rate is now 3.6 percent, the lowest it's been since June 2001.

The jobless rate is down 0.3 of a percentage point from a month ago and is well below the nation's 5 percent unemployment rate.

The 3.6 percent jobless rate is also down 1.2 percentage points from a year ago, according to the state labor department's monthly jobs report, out Thursday.

After a big jump in August, the labor force in Massachusetts -- consisting of those working or actively seeking work — increased by a small amount, 300 people, to 3,610,900 in September, and the labor force participation rate remained stagnant, at 65 percent.

The state added an estimated 5,100 jobs over the month, and Thursday's report also revised down the number of jobs gained in August, from an initially reported 5,900 to 3,600.

The unemployment rate is based on a survey of households, while the jobs figures are based on a survey of employers. Both are subject to revision, sometimes significantly.

Year to date, Massachusetts has added an estimated 63,800 jobs.

The United States added an estimated 156,000 jobs in September, slightly less than economists' forecasts.