The provided HTML code displays an article about the recent increase in employment in Massachusetts.The provided HTML code displays an article about the recent increase in employment in Massachusetts. The article begins with a paragraph stating that after 52 months, the number of people working in Massachusetts has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In June, local employers added 19,000 jobs, bringing total employment to about 3.75 million jobs, which is 9,000 more than the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020. The country as a whole has also recovered from the COVID job losses, but Massachusetts employers are facing a tight supply of workers due to retirements and slow population growth. Employment growth in business and professional services and health care and education was offset by losses in retail trade and hospitality and leisure. However, the article notes that the picture is changing. After a slow start to the year, the working population has increased, with a significant increase of over 28,000 in June. The state’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.2 percent, reflecting an influx of new job seekers, and the labor force participation rate climbed to 65.7 percent, the highest since February 2020. The article cautions that drawing conclusions from a single month of data is risky, but notes that it is not unusual for people to enter or reenter the labor market toward the end of an economic expansion when the labor market is tight and wages have risen. The article concludes with a breakdown of the employment growth by sector, showing that the government sector added the most jobs in June, followed by education and health care and professional, scientific and business services. Employers in the leisure and hospitality sector and manufacturers cut jobs.
Massachusetts jobs rose in June thanks to government hiring.Elise Amendola/Associated Press
It took 52 months, but the number of people working in Massachusetts is now above pre-pandemic levels.
Local employers added 19,000 jobs in June, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. The gain, the largest since October 2021, brought total employment to about 3.75 million jobs, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020 by 9,000 jobs.
The country as a whole has made up for the COVID job losses of two years ago. Massachusetts employers are hampered by a tight supply of workers, the result of retirements and slow population growth.
Employment growth in two key sectors – business and professional services and health care and education – was offset by losses in retail trade and hospitality and leisure.
But the picture is changing.
After the quiet months of January and February, the working population (the number of people with a job or looking for a job) has increased. In June there was even a significant increase of more than 28,000.
The state’s unemployment rate rose two-tenths of a percentage point last month to 3.2 percent, reflecting an influx of new job seekers. The labor force participation rate — the percentage of the adult population with a job or looking for one — climbed to 65.7 percent, also the highest since February 2020.
It is not unusual for people to enter or reenter the labor market toward the end of an economic expansion, when the labor market is tight and wages have risen. This is especially true for people who previously had difficulty finding work. However, drawing conclusions from a single month of state-level data is risky, as the figures are more susceptible to significant revisions than national data due to smaller sample sizes.
The state’s employment growth last month was led by the government sector, which added 8,300 jobs, followed by education and health care (up 5,800) and professional, scientific and business services (up 3,300).
Employers in the leisure and hospitality sector cut 1,800 jobs, while manufacturers cut 200 jobs.
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