Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Worcester fell 0.2 percentage points in December 2011 to 7.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points higher than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Worcester peaked in November 2009 at 9.4% and is now 2.1 percentage points lower. You can also compare Worcester 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
Worcester	7.3%	-0.2	-1.7

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: Worcester, Massachusetts, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Worcester peaked in December 2009 at 27,675. There are now 5,697 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Worcester employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Worcester, Massachusetts) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	December 2011	Month/Month	Year/Year
Worcester	21,978	-554	-4,691

Number of Unemployed Persons

Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Massachusetts Unemployment Rate	Worcester Unemployment Rate	Worcester Unemployed
January 2012	8.3%	—	—	—
December 2011	8.5%	6.8%	7.3%	21,978
November 2011	8.7%	7.0%	7.5%	22,532
October 2011	8.9%	7.3%	7.8%	23,327
September 2011	9.0%	7.3%	7.8%	23,450
August 2011	9.1%	7.4%	7.9%	23,669
July 2011	9.1%	7.6%	8.1%	24,024
June 2011	9.1%	7.6%	8.1%	23,990
May 2011	9.0%	7.6%	8.1%	23,966
April 2011	9.0%	7.8%	8.3%	24,501
March 2011	8.9%	8.0%	8.5%	25,104
February 2011	9.0%	8.2%	8.7%	25,763
January 2011	9.1%	8.3%	8.9%	26,329