Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Worcester fell 0.2 percentage points in July 2022 to 3.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points higher than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Worcester peaked in April 2020 at 15.4% and is now 11.8 percentage points lower. You can also compare Worcester unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | July 2022 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.5% | -0.1 | -1.9 |
| Massachusetts | 3.5% | -0.2 | -2.2 |
| Worcester | 3.6% | -0.2 | -2.1 |
Unemployment Rate: Worcester, Massachusetts, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Worcester peaked in April 2020 at 51,044. There are now 38,305 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area.
| Unemployed Persons | July 2022 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 12,739 | -568 | -7,726 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Massachusetts Unemployment Rate |
Worcester Unemployment Rate |
Worcester Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2022 |
3.7% | — | — | — |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 12,739 |
| June 2022 |
3.6% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 13,307 |
| May 2022 |
3.6% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 13,999 |
| April 2022 |
3.6% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 14,659 |
| March 2022 |
3.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 15,451 |
| February 2022 |
3.8% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 16,457 |
| January 2022 |
4.0% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 17,428 |
| December 2021 |
3.9% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 18,206 |
| November 2021 |
4.2% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 18,125 |
| October 2021 |
4.6% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 18,212 |
| September 2021 |
4.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 18,824 |
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.
