Unemployment Rate in Fall River Drops Sharply in April

Keith Thibault May 23, 2023 Comments Off on Unemployment Rate in Fall River Drops Sharply in April

The unemployment rate in the City of Fall River in April fell 2.8 percentage points to 4.6%, down from 7.4% in March.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that the labor force in Fall River in April totaled 39,325 employees. 1,819 people were recorded as unemployed. The 4.6% unemployment rate for April compares to the 6.0% unemployment rate for April of 2022.

Here are the rates of communities surrounding Fall River:

Somerset, 3.0% (4.7% in March)
Swansea, 2.9% (4.6% in March)
Westport, 3.3% (5.3% in March)
Freetown, 2.6% (4.5% in March)

Here are the rates in select Gateway Cities across Eastern Massachusetts last month:

New Bedford, 4.4% (6.9% in March)
Taunton, 3.5% (5.2% in March)
Brockton, 3.9% (5.6% in March)
Lowell, 3.1% (4.4% in March)
Lawrence, 4.8% (7.0% in March)

The state unemployment rate for April sits at 3.3%. Here is more information from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development:

From the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

BOSTON, MA May 23, 2023 — Local unemployment rates decreased in twenty-four labor market areas in the state during the month of April 2023 compared to March 2023, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported.

Compared to April 2022, the rates were down in twenty-four labor market areas.

Of the fifteen areas for which employment estimates are published, twelve NECTA areas gained jobs compared to the previous month. The largest increases occurred in the Barnstable Town (+4.1%), Pittsfield (+1.8%), and Leominster-Gardner (+1.3%) areas.

From April 2022 to April 2023, fifteen areas gained jobs with the largest percentage increases seen in the Barnstable Town (+3.2%), Boston-Cambridge-Newton (+3.1%), and Peabody-Salem-Beverly (+2.7%) areas.

The statewide seasonally adjusted preliminary jobs estimate showed an increase of 5,100 jobs in April, and an over-the-year gain of 99,100 jobs.

In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for April 2023 was 2.6 percent, down 1.3 percentage points from the revised March 2023 estimate and 0.5 percentage point below the nation’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 3.1 percent.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of April 2023 was 3.3 percent, down 0.2 percentage point from the revised March 2023 estimate of 3.5 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April 2023 was 3.4 percent.

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 Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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