Massachusetts' Unemployment Rate Is Worst In The Country For 2nd Month In A Row

For the second month in a row, Massachusetts has the highest unemployment rate in the country, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday.

Massachusetts' unemployment rate stood at 16.1% in July — down from June's revised unemployment rate of 17.7%.

That rate is 5.9% above the national unemployment rate, which was 10.2% in July, according to the data.

Massachusetts added more than 72,000 jobs last month after adding nearly 95,000 in June as the state continues to recover from the economic shutdown prompted by the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates.

Nearly half of those job gains were in the leisure and hospitality section, hit particularly hard during the pandemic. The trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; and government sectors also had significant job gains.

With reporting from WBUR's Newscast Unit and The Associated Press