Mass. Unemployment Rate Holds At 9.2 Percent

Massachusetts added more than 15,000 jobs last month, the fourth straight month of employment gains for the state, but the unemployment rate remained at 9.2 percent.

The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday that Massachusetts unemployment rate remains below the national rate of 9.7 percent.

The jobs growth was driven by the leisure and hospitality, health and education, and construction sectors. The jobs figure was also boosted significantly by government hiring, which increased because of temporary hiring to help with the Census.

Leisure and hospitality added 4,700 jobs and the hard hit construction sector added 1,400 jobs in May. Federal government jobs increased by over 8,000 jobs in May.

The financial activities sector lost 1,200 jobs last month.