Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Worcester rose 0.1 percentage points in March 2023 to 3.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the Massachusetts rate. The unemployment rate in Worcester peaked in April 2020 at 15.2% and is now 11.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.8% in May 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Worcester unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | March 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.5% | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Massachusetts | 3.5% | -0.2 | -0.2 |
| Worcester | 3.9% | +0.1 | 0.0 |
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 50,762. There are now 36,924 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 13,591 in January 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 247.
| Unemployed Persons | March 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 13,838 | +83 | -415 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Worcester, Massachusetts Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Massachusetts Unemployment Rate |
Worcester Unemployment Rate |
Worcester Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2023 |
3.4% | — | — | — |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 13,838 |
| 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 |
| October 2022 |
3.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 13,725 |
| September 2022 |
3.5% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 13,701 |
| August 2022 |
3.7% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 13,667 |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 13,648 |
| June 2022 |
3.6% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 13,690 |
| May 2022 |
3.6% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 13,811 |
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.
