Mass. Added 10,500 Jobs In June, State Reports

Massachusetts added 10,500 jobs last month, according to preliminary estimates reported Thursday by the state labor department.

The strong employment growth in June was tempered by revisions to May's jobs figures, from an initially estimated gain of 7,400 down to 5,200.

"We are seeing very strong job growth. Not only are jobs continuing to grow in many sectors, we are seeing many more people entering the labor force, encouraged by the strong job growth," state Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said in Thursday's release.

Over the last year, the Massachusetts labor force has indeed increased, by an estimated 79,000 people. But in June, the labor force decreased by 5,600, dropping the labor force participation rate 0.2 percentage points, to 66.2 percent. Over the last year the rate has increased 0.9 percent.

The labor force is the number of people working, or actively seeking work.

The state unemployment rate remained flat last month at 4.6 percent, below the national rate of 5.3 percent.

The jobs figures are based on a survey of employers, with the unemployment rate based on a survey of households. Both the jobs numbers and the unemployment rate are subject to revision.