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Mass. Unemployment Rate Falls For Second Month

For the second straight month, Massachusetts’ unemployment rate fell slightly, from 8.9 percent in October to 8.8 percent in November.

While it’s not enough to point to a clear economic trend, Gov. Deval Patrick said he feels “joy and gratification that there’s another indicator that we’re moving in the right direction.”

However, Massachusetts employers reported jobs were down 1,700 for the month of November.

“We’re not out of the woods yet … but overall the numbers are showing a flattening in the downturn of the economy,” said Labor and Workforce Development Interim Secretary Nancy Snyder.

Two of the hardest hit industries, manufacturing and construction, both added jobs last month. But financial services, real estate and tourism all lost jobs.

According to the new figures from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, households reported the state’s workforce grew by 10,800 last month, with 15,700 more residents employed and 5,100 fewer residents unemployed.

The unemployment rate and job estimates are derived from two different surveys. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different trends.

The November national unemployment rate was 10 percent, compared to 10.2 percent in October.

This program aired on December 17, 2009. The audio for this program is not available.

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