Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Massachusetts Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boston rose 0.1 percentage points in February 2018 to 3.2%. 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 December 2009 at 8.1% and is now 4.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.8% in December 2016, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Boston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	February 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	4.1%	0.0	-0.6
Massachusetts	3.5%	0.0	-0.4
Boston	3.2%	+0.1	-0.1

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with February 2018 data as March 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 January 2010 at 203,722. There are now 116,759 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 74,196 in December 2016, the number of unemployed has now grown by 12,767. Boston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boston, Massachusetts) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	February 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
Boston	86,963	+2,587	-2,766

Number of Unemployed Persons

Boston, Massachusetts Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Massachusetts Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployed
March 2018	4.1%	—	—	—
February 2018	4.1%	3.5%	3.2%	86,963
January 2018	4.1%	3.5%	3.1%	84,376
December 2017	4.1%	3.5%	3.2%	86,789
November 2017	4.1%	3.5%	3.4%	91,550
October 2017	4.1%	3.5%	3.4%	92,474
September 2017	4.2%	3.6%	3.4%	92,096
August 2017	4.4%	3.6%	3.6%	98,782
July 2017	4.3%	3.7%	3.8%	103,137
June 2017	4.3%	3.8%	3.8%	103,450
May 2017	4.3%	3.8%	3.9%	105,962
April 2017	4.4%	3.9%	3.6%	99,384