The unemployment rate in the city of Fall River in May rose to 9.6%, up from 9.5% in April.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that the labor force in Fall River in May totaled 41,025 employees. 3,925 people were recorded as being unemployed. The 9.6% unemployment rate for May compares to a 22.0% unemployment rate for May of 2020.
Towns surrounding Fall River either saw mixed results in their rates:
Somerset, 5.1% (5.1% in April)
Swansea, 5.3% (4.9% in April)
Westport, 6.4% (6.4% in April)
Freetown, 5.0% (5.2% in April)
Gateway Cities across Massachusetts saw their jobless rates rise in May.
New Bedford, 9.0% (8.9% in April)
Taunton, 7.4% (7.2% in April)
Brockton, 9.8% (9.4% in April)
Lowell, 7.9% (7.07 in April)
Lawrence, 13.8% (13.6% in April)
The state unemployment rate for May is 6.1%. Here is more information from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development on the local numbers:
From the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
Latest Seasonally Unadjusted Unemployment and Job Estimates for Local Labor Markets in Massachusetts
BOSTON, MA June 22, 2021 — Local unemployment rates dropped in seven labor market areas, remained unchanged in eight areas and increased in nine labor market areas in the state during the month of May, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported.
Compared to May 2020, the rates were down in twenty-four labor market areas.
All areas for which job estimates are published experienced gains in May. The largest percentage increases occurred in Barnstable, Pittsfield, and Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton.
From May 2020 to May 2021, all fifteen areas gained jobs with the largest percentage increases in the Barnstable, New Bedford, and Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury areas. Each of these areas experienced job increases greater than 15% over the year, a significant increase from the over the year job losses of greater than 4% that was published in March 2021.
In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide-unadjusted unemployment rate for May was 6.1 percent.
Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of May was 6.1 percent, down 0.3 percentage points following a revision to the April rate of 6.4 percent.
The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed an increase of 9,200 jobs in May, and an over-the-year gain of 357,700 jobs.
The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.
The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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