Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Worcester fell 1.4 percentage points in July 2020 to 14.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.7 percentage points lower than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Worcester peaked in June 2020 at 15.9% and is now 1.4 percentage points lower. You can also compare Worcester unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | July 2020 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 10.2% | -0.9 | +6.5 |
| Massachusetts | 16.2% | -1.5 | +13.3 |
| Worcester | 14.5% | -1.4 | +11.3 |
Unemployment Rate: Worcester, Massachusetts, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Worcester peaked in June 2020 at 56,226. There are now 4,492 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area.
| Unemployed Persons | July 2020 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 51,734 | -4,492 | +40,210 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Massachusetts Unemployment Rate |
Worcester Unemployment Rate |
Worcester Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2020 |
8.4% | 11.3% | — | — |
| July 2020 |
10.2% | 16.2% | 14.5% | 51,734 |
| June 2020 |
11.1% | 17.7% | 15.9% | 56,226 |
| May 2020 |
13.3% | 16.6% | 14.8% | 50,208 |
| April 2020 |
14.7% | 16.2% | 14.6% | 47,899 |
| March 2020 |
4.4% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 10,306 |
| February 2020 |
3.5% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 11,230 |
| January 2020 |
3.6% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 11,166 |
| December 2019 |
3.5% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 11,029 |
| November 2019 |
3.5% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 11,095 |
| October 2019 |
3.6% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 11,190 |
| September 2019 |
3.5% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 11,294 |
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.
