Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Worcester fell 0.0 percentage points in May 2018 to 3.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points higher than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Worcester peaked in November 2009 at 9.4% and is now 5.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.6% in December 2017, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.2 percentage points. You can also compare Worcester unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	May 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	3.8%	-0.1	-0.5
Massachusetts	3.5%	0.0	-0.3
Worcester	3.8%	0.0	-0.3

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with May 2018 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Worcester, Massachusetts, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Worcester peaked in January 2010 at 31,352. There are now 17,664 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 12,754 in December 2017, the number of unemployed has now grown by 934.

Unemployed Persons	May 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
Worcester	13,688	-165	-666

Number of Unemployed Persons

Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Massachusetts Unemployment Rate	Worcester Unemployment Rate	Worcester Unemployed
June 2018	4.0%	—	—	—
May 2018	3.8%	3.5%	3.8%	13,688
April 2018	3.9%	3.5%	3.8%	13,853
March 2018	4.1%	3.5%	3.8%	13,811
February 2018	4.1%	3.5%	3.8%	13,549
January 2018	4.1%	3.5%	3.6%	12,788
December 2017	4.1%	3.5%	3.6%	12,754
November 2017	4.1%	3.5%	3.7%	12,954
October 2017	4.1%	3.5%	3.7%	13,166
September 2017	4.2%	3.6%	3.8%	13,452
August 2017	4.4%	3.6%	3.9%	13,773
July 2017	4.3%	3.7%	4.0%	13,980