Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boston fell 0.2 percentage points in December 2011 to 6.2%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.6 percentage points lower than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Boston peaked in September 2009 at 8.1% and is now 1.9 percentage points lower. You can also compare Boston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	December 2011	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	8.5%	-0.2	-0.9
Massachusetts	6.8%	-0.2	-1.5
Boston	6.2%	-0.2	-1.4

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with December 2011 data as January metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Boston, Massachusetts, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Boston, Massachusetts Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Boston peaked in October 2009 at 206,105. There are now 46,591 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Boston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boston, Massachusetts) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	December 2011	Month/Month	Year/Year
Boston	159,514	-3,699	-33,985

Number of Unemployed Persons

Boston, Massachusetts Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Massachusetts Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployed
January 2012	8.3%	—	—	—
December 2011	8.5%	6.8%	6.2%	159,514
November 2011	8.7%	7.0%	6.4%	163,213
October 2011	8.9%	7.3%	6.6%	168,075
September 2011	9.0%	7.3%	6.6%	167,529
August 2011	9.1%	7.4%	6.6%	168,075
July 2011	9.1%	7.6%	6.7%	170,351
June 2011	9.1%	7.6%	6.7%	169,783
May 2011	9.0%	7.6%	6.7%	171,285
April 2011	9.0%	7.8%	6.9%	175,689
March 2011	8.9%	8.0%	7.1%	181,656
February 2011	9.0%	8.2%	7.3%	187,297
January 2011	9.1%	8.3%	7.5%	190,675