Mass. Starts 2013 Adding More Jobs Than First Thought
BOSTON (CBS) - Massachusetts companies added about 16,000 new jobs in January. Earlier estimates of job growth were dramatically upgraded.
The state added 32,000 more jobs than expected in 2011 and 2012.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Anthony Silva reports
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Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Joanne Goldstein tells me the numbers show Massachusetts' economy continues to grow. She says initial job reports are based on projections, estimates and other calculations.
"There's obviously some margin of error," Goldstein continues, "and then (the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics) collects real data from employers to come up with the actual numbers."
Goldstein says getting accurate numbers has become a challenge, with the growth of cell phone use.
"Many homes no longer have land lines," she says, which is the way they've been surveyed in the past. "We've observed that more individuals are sometimes reluctant to report their job status when they're not sure where it's going to, or what the purpose is."
Much of the state's recent job growth has come in higher education, tourism and construction.
