Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Massachusetts Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boston rose 0.2 percentage points in May 2020 to 15.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate for Boston in May 2020 is at a new high. You can also compare Boston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	May 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	13.3%	-1.4	+9.7
Massachusetts	16.6%	+0.4	+13.7
Boston	15.9%	+0.2	+13.2

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with May 2020 data as June 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 in May 2020 is at a new high of 415,225. Boston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boston, Massachusetts) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	May 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
Boston	415,225	+17,638	+339,689

Number of Unemployed Persons

Boston, Massachusetts Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Massachusetts Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployment Rate	Boston Unemployed
July 2020	10.2%	—	—	—
June 2020	11.1%	17.4%	—	—
May 2020	13.3%	16.6%	15.9%	415,225
April 2020	14.7%	16.2%	15.7%	397,587
March 2020	4.4%	2.8%	2.6%	72,000
February 2020	3.5%	2.8%	2.5%	71,961
January 2020	3.6%	2.8%	2.5%	71,301
December 2019	3.5%	2.8%	2.5%	70,021
November 2019	3.5%	2.8%	2.5%	70,472
October 2019	3.6%	2.8%	2.5%	71,113
September 2019	3.5%	2.8%	2.5%	71,810
August 2019	3.7%	2.8%	2.6%	72,570