Department of Numbers

Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Worcester fell 0.1 percentage points in September 2023 to 2.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Worcester peaked in April 2020 at 15.2% and is now 12.4 percentage points lower. You can also compare Worcester unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.8% 0.0 +0.3
Massachusetts 2.6% 0.0 -1.1
Worcester 2.8% -0.1 -1.0
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2023 data as October metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Worcester, Massachusetts, National

Worcester, Massachusetts monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Worcester peaked in April 2020 at 50,762. There are now 40,905 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area.

Unemployed Persons September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Worcester 9,857 -306 -3,844

Number of Unemployed Persons

Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Massachusetts
Unemployment Rate
Worcester
Unemployment Rate
Worcester
Unemployed
October
2023
3.9% 2.8%
September
2023
3.8% 2.6% 2.8% 9,857
August
2023
3.8% 2.6% 2.9% 10,163
July
2023
3.5% 2.5% 3.0% 10,585
June
2023
3.6% 2.6% 3.2% 11,300
May
2023
3.7% 2.8% 3.4% 12,155
April
2023
3.4% 3.1% 3.7% 13,114
March
2023
3.5% 3.5% 3.9% 13,833
February
2023
3.6% 3.7% 3.8% 13,755
January
2023
3.4% 3.5% 3.8% 13,591
December
2022
3.5% 3.7% 3.8% 13,730
November
2022
3.6% 3.7% 3.8% 13,733

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.