Fall River’s Unemployment Rate Rises in June

Keith Thibault July 20, 2021 Comments Off on Fall River’s Unemployment Rate Rises in June

The unemployment rate in the city of Fall River in June rose to 8.2%, up from 7.8% in May.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that the labor force in Fall River in June totaled 40,765 employees. 3,328 people were recorded as being unemployed. The 8.2% unemployment rate for June compares to a 19.9% unemployment rate for June of 2020.

Most towns surrounding Fall River either saw their rates rise:

  • Somerset, 4.9% (4.1% in May)
  • Swansea, 4.3% (4.3% in May)
  • Westport, 5.4% (5.2% in May)
  • Freetown, 4.6% (4.1% in May)

Gateway Cities across Massachusetts saw their jobless rates rise in June.

  • New Bedford, 7.8% (7.4% in May)
  • Taunton, 6.3% (6.0% in May)
  • Brockton, 8.6% (8.0% in May)
  • Lowell, 7.0% (6.5% in May)
  • Lawrence, 12.3% (11.4% in May)

The state unemployment rate for June is 4.9%. 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 July 20, 2021 — Local unemployment rates dropped in two labor market areas, remained unchanged in one area and increased in twenty-one labor market areas in the state during the month of June, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported.

Compared to June 2020, the rates were down in twenty-four labor market areas.

Thirteen metropolitan areas for which job estimates are published experienced gains in June. The largest percentage increases occurred in Barnstable, Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, and Framingham. Two areas, Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem and Leominster-Gardner, experienced job losses of less than 2% over the month.

From June 2020 to June 2021, all fifteen areas gained jobs with the largest percentage increases in the Barnstable, Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, and Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury areas. Each of these areas experienced job increases equal to or greater than 12% over the year. Barnstable and Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury are the only two areas which experienced job growth since before the start of the pandemic in February 2020.

In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide-unadjusted unemployment rate for June was 5.4 percent.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of June was 4.9 percent, down 0.1 percentage point following a revision to the May rate of 5.0 percent.

The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed an increase of 9,400 jobs in June, and an over-the-year gain of 292,800 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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