Report: Massachusetts Loses Jobs In January, But Unemployment Down
BOSTON (AP) — State labor officials report the state lost an estimated 2,500 jobs in January, but the overall unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a point to 4.7 percent.
The Office of Labor and Workforce Development on Thursday also released revised jobs growth figures for the 2014 and 2015 calendar years. The updates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics show the state gained 83,000 jobs in 2014 — more than originally estimated — and gained 41,000 jobs last year, which was lower than initial estimates.
The January unemployment rate, down from 4.9 percent in December, remained two percentage points below the U.S. rate.
Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker says despite the estimated overall drop in jobs, several economic sectors including construction and manufacturing gained jobs in January.
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