MASSACHUSETTS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 6.4 PERCENT

Jobs down 1,400 in April, up 12,900 in 2013

BOSTON– May 16, 2013 – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that the Bureau of Labor Statistics' preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts' total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent and the Commonwealth lost 1,400 jobs in April.

Professional, Scientific, and Business Services, Information, and the Education and Health Services sectors added jobs in April. In the first four months of 2013, Massachusetts added 12,900 jobs. Over the year, Massachusetts added 46,200 jobs, 43,600 of which were in the private sector.

Over the year, the unemployment rate was down 0.2 of a percentage point from the April 2012 rate of 6.6 percent. Revised numbers from the BLS estimate Massachusetts lost 3,800 jobs in March rather than 5,500 jobs as was reported last month.

April 2013 Employment Overview

Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 4,500 (+0.9%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 16,200 (+3.3%) jobs.

Information gained 900 (+1.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Information gained 2,700 (+3.1%) jobs.

Education and Health Services added 700 (+0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Education and Health Services gained 15,600 (+2.3%) jobs.

Other Services gained 200 (+0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Other Services added 2,300 (+1.9%) jobs.

Leisure and Hospitality lost 1,900 (-0.6%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality added 4,900 jobs (+1.5%).

Financial Activities lost 1,400 (-0.7%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Financial Activities shed 1,300 (-0.6%) jobs.

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 1,400 (-0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 3,500 (+0.6%) jobs.

Construction lost 600 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction added 2,700 (+2.4%) jobs.

Manufacturing lost 300 jobs (-0.1%) over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing lost 2,900 (-1.1%) jobs.

Government lost 2,000 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government gained 2,600 (+0.6%) jobs.

Labor Force Overview

The April 2013 estimates show 3,250,300 Massachusetts residents were employed and 222,800 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,473,200. The April labor force increased by 2,500 from 3,470,700 in March 2013, as 2,900 more residents were employed and 500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force was an estimated 3,200 below the 3,476,400 April 2012 estimate, with 5,000 more residents employed and 8,300 fewer residents unemployed.

The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends.

NOTES: Beginning with the March 2011 estimates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has assumed responsibility for the production of the CES State and sub-state jobs estimates. BLS has also implemented methodological changes which may increase the month to month variability of the estimates. See Changes to procedures for producing Current Employment Statistics (CES) State estimates.

Local area unemployment statistics for April 2013 will be released on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The preliminary May 2013 and revised April 2013 unemployment rate, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Thursday, June 20, 2013. See Media Advisory for a complete list of release dates.

Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.