Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Massachusetts Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boston fell 0.0 percentage points in August 2019 to 2.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points lower than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Boston peaked in November 2009 at 8.1% and is now 5.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.6% in July 2019, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Boston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	August 2019	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	3.7%	0.0	-0.1
Massachusetts	2.9%	0.0	-0.4
Boston	2.6%	0.0	-0.3

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with August 2019 data as September 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 December 2009 at 203,463. There are now 129,737 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Boston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boston, Massachusetts) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	August 2019	Month/Month	Year/Year
Boston	73,726	-419	-9,249

Number of Unemployed Persons

Boston, Massachusetts Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Massachusetts Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployed
September 2019	3.5%	2.9%	—	—
August 2019	3.7%	2.9%	2.6%	73,726
July 2019	3.7%	2.9%	2.6%	74,145
June 2019	3.7%	3.0%	2.7%	75,963
May 2019	3.6%	3.0%	2.7%	76,676
April 2019	3.6%	2.9%	2.7%	75,501
March 2019	3.8%	3.0%	2.7%	76,363
February 2019	3.8%	3.0%	2.7%	77,148
January 2019	4.0%	3.1%	2.8%	79,071
December 2018	3.9%	3.1%	2.8%	79,746
November 2018	3.7%	3.1%	2.8%	79,544
October 2018	3.8%	3.1%	2.8%	79,711