Mass. unemployment rate rises to 9.5 percent

Globe Staff

The Massachusetts unemployment rate increased from a revised 9.3 percent in December to 9.5 percent in January, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said today.

December's unemployment rate for the Bay State was the highest rate in more than 33 years. Even before today's numbers were released, many economists had been saying that the US recovery from a recession would be a long and sometimes fitful process. The January unemployment rate for Massachusetts in January seemed to offer more evidence to support that view for the Bay State. The US jobless rate in January was 9.7 percent.

"There was a net gain of 400 jobs for the month of January, with private sector jobs up 1,700 and the labor force grew by 3,200," the executive office said about the latest Massachusetts numbers. "Sectors that added jobs in January include trade, transportation and utilities; professional, scientific and business Services; education and health services; information; other services, and leisure and hospitality."

Job losses were posted in such sectors as construction, manufacturing, financial activities, and government, the state agency said.

Referencing the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, or the BLS, the state agency said, "Overall, the BLS estimates that the state has experienced a job loss of 2.9 percent, or 92,200, in the past 12 months."

To read the Globe story on the state's December jobless rate, please click here.