Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Massachusetts Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boston rose 0.1 percentage points in July 2021 to 5.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.6 percentage points higher than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Boston peaked in April 2020 at 15.9% and is now 10.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.2% in May 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.3 percentage points. You can also compare Boston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | July 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 5.4% | -0.5 | -4.8 |
| Massachusetts | 4.9% | 0.0 | -4.9 |
| Boston | 5.5% | +0.1 | -4.0 |
Unemployment Rate: Boston, Massachusetts, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Boston, Massachusetts Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Boston peaked in May 2020 at 405,458. There are now 252,774 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 143,663 in May 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 9,021. Boston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boston, Massachusetts) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | July 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 152,684 | +4,975 | -100,812 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Boston, Massachusetts Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Massachusetts Unemployment Rate |
Boston Unemployment Rate |
Boston Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2021 |
5.2% | — | — | — |
| July 2021 |
5.4% | 4.9% | 5.5% | 152,684 |
| June 2021 |
5.9% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 147,709 |
| May 2021 |
5.8% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 143,663 |
| April 2021 |
6.1% | 6.4% | 6.2% | 171,247 |
| March 2021 |
6.0% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 181,739 |
| February 2021 |
6.2% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 194,116 |
| January 2021 |
6.3% | 7.8% | 7.4% | 206,624 |
| December 2020 |
6.7% | 8.4% | 7.9% | 220,503 |
| November 2020 |
6.7% | 8.4% | 7.9% | 219,734 |
| October 2020 |
6.9% | 8.5% | 8.1% | 221,613 |
| September 2020 |
7.8% | 8.9% | 8.4% | 230,435 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
Department of Numbers
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