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Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Drops Again To 7.4%

BOSTON (CBS) -- Massachusetts' unemployment rate fell again in October, according to federal statistics. It's now down to 7.4%; a drop from the September rate of 9.8%.

That's .5 percentage points above the national unemployment rate of 6.9%. Hawaii's unemployment rate was the highest at 14.3%, while Vermont had one of the lowest at 3.2%. The unemployment rate in New Hampshire is down to 4.2%.

Back in June, Massachusetts unemployment peaked at 17.7%, the highest in the country.

It's estimated that Massachusetts added about 11,400 jobs in October. The trade, transportation and utilities industries saw the largest job increases. But the coronavirus pandemic has still had a massive impact on the workforce, with the state losing about 340,200 jobs since last October.

Overall, about 3.34 million Massachusetts residents are estimated to be employed, while 268,500 are unemployed.

The new unemployment figures come as Massachusetts faces a surge of coronavirus cases and enacted new restrictions on businesses, including a curfew.

Learn more about applying for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts here.

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