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Mass. Added 11,00 Jobs In Oct.; Jobless Rate Remains At 4.6 Percent

Massachusetts added 11,000 jobs last month, according to preliminary federal estimates, and the state unemployment rate remained at 4.6 percent, according to the latest state jobs report, out Thursday.

The Massachusetts jobless rate is below the national rate, which is currently 5 percent.

Also in Thursday's report:

  • A positive data point: Last month's report said the state lost 7,100 jobs in September, according to preliminary estimates. That has now been revised down, to 2,200 jobs lost over the month.
  • A negative data point: The state labor force declined by 8,700 in October, as 9,600 fewer residents were employed; and the labor force participation rate, which measures adults who worked or sought work, ticked down 0.2 percentage points, to 64.7 percent.
  • October job gains were led by two sectors: the education and health services sector, which added 5,200 positions, and the professional, scientific and business services sector, which added 3,000 jobs.

As they often do, the state jobs report moved in tandem with the national report, which came out Nov. 6. That U.S. report also showed strong job growth, with the nation adding an estimated 271,000 jobs in October.

With October's gains, Massachusetts has added an estimated 62,800 jobs so far this year, the labor department said. That surpasses the total from all of last year, a department spokeswoman confirmed. 2014 was the state's strongest year for job growth since 2000.

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.

This article was originally published on November 19, 2015.

Headshot of Benjamin Swasey

Benjamin Swasey Digital Manager
Ben is WBUR's digital news manager.

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