Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Massachusetts Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boston fell 0.1 percentage points in November 2021 to 4.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Boston peaked in April 2020 at 15.9% and is now 11.0 percentage points lower. You can also compare Boston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | November 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 4.2% | -0.4 | -2.5 |
| Massachusetts | 5.4% | +0.1 | -3.0 |
| Boston | 4.9% | -0.1 | -3.0 |
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 270,564 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Boston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boston, Massachusetts) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | November 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 134,894 | -2,792 | -84,840 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Boston, Massachusetts Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Massachusetts Unemployment Rate |
Boston Unemployment Rate |
Boston Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 |
3.9% | — | — | — |
| November 2021 |
4.2% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 134,894 |
| October 2021 |
4.6% | 5.3% | 5.0% | 137,686 |
| September 2021 |
4.7% | 5.2% | 5.0% | 139,230 |
| August 2021 |
5.2% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 144,741 |
| July 2021 |
5.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 150,204 |
| June 2021 |
5.9% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 147,709 |
| May 2021 |
5.8% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 143,663 |
| April 2021 |
6.0% | 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 |
6.4% | 7.8% | 7.4% | 206,624 |
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
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
Here's where you are
- Home
- / Unemployment
- / Massachusetts
- / Boston
