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Mass. Adds 7,500 Jobs In August; Jobless Rate Unchanged
The Massachusetts unemployment rate held steady last month even though the state added 7,500 jobs, the state's Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday.
August’s unemployment rate of 7.2 percent remains the highest since September 2011 and is up 0.4 percent from the August 2012 rate of 6.8 percent.
Most of the job additions came in the private sector, with the education and health services sector leading the way with about 4,100 new jobs. Leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and construction also gained jobs.
The professional, scientific and business services, and trade transportation and utilities sectors shed jobs.
Revised federal Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates show the state actually lost 300 jobs in July. Initial estimates said the state gained 300 jobs.
The agency says the state has added more than 45,000 jobs in the past 12 months.
With reporting by the Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom.
This article was originally published on September 19, 2013.
This program aired on September 19, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.