New Bedford, Massachusetts Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for New Bedford rose 0.1 percentage points in November 2023 to 4.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.2 percentage points higher than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in New Bedford peaked in April 2020 at 23.7% and is now 19.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.9% in September 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.2 percentage points. You can also compare New Bedford unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | November 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.7% | -0.1 | +0.1 |
| Massachusetts | 2.9% | +0.1 | -0.8 |
| New Bedford | 4.1% | +0.1 | -1.3 |
Unemployment Rate: New Bedford, Massachusetts, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
New Bedford, Massachusetts Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in New Bedford peaked in April 2020 at 19,076. There are now 15,628 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 3,246 in September 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 202.
| Unemployed Persons | November 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Bedford | 3,448 | +139 | -1,109 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
New Bedford, Massachusetts Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Massachusetts Unemployment Rate |
New Bedford Unemployment Rate |
New Bedford Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2023 |
3.7% | — | — | — |
| November 2023 |
3.7% | 2.9% | 4.1% | 3,448 |
| October 2023 |
3.8% | 2.8% | 4.0% | 3,309 |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 2.6% | 3.9% | 3,246 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 2.6% | 4.0% | 3,307 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 2.5% | 4.0% | 3,348 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 2.6% | 4.2% | 3,513 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 2.8% | 4.5% | 3,745 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 3.1% | 4.8% | 4,066 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 3.5% | 5.1% | 4,326 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 3.7% | 5.2% | 4,367 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 3.5% | 5.2% | 4,403 |
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.
