BOSTON - Thursday, October 16, 2008 --- Massachusetts' unemployment rate remains well below the national average at 5.3 percent, though up slightly from 5.2 percent according to preliminary estimates for September released today by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Massachusetts unemployment rate remains nearly a full percentage point below the national rate, which was unchanged at 6.1 percent in September. The Massachusetts rate has been below the national average each month since June 2007.

The state's 2008 unemployment rate through September has averaged 4.8 percent - higher than the 4.5 percent rate recorded for the same time period in 2007 - reflecting the impact of the national economic slowdown.

Preliminary estimates also show that jobs were off by 3,800, only the third monthly job decline in the past year. The national economy has lost jobs during each month of 2008. There is a total of 3,290,500 jobs in Massachusetts, which are up 11,700 from one year ago.

Employment Overview
The Trade, Transportation, and Utilities; Information; and Government sectors each added jobs over the last month, while Financial Activities, Construction, Education and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality, Manufacturing, Other Services and Professional, Scientific and Business Services lost jobs.

Education and health services lost 1,100 jobs in September, after adding jobs each of the last five months. Within this sector, the health care and social assistance industry continued to add new jobs (+300). However, these job gains were offset by larger than expected seasonal declines in educational services. At 639,400, education and health services jobs are up 12,600 or 2.0 percent from one year ago and have added nearly twice as many jobs and posted the highest annual growth rate of any super sector in Massachusetts.

Jobs in the professional, scientific and business services super sector were off 500 in September to 488,500. Jobs were up in the professional, scientific, and technical services industries. Over the year, employment is up 6,500 or 1.3 percent, with all of the growth in professional, scientific and technical services.

Financial activities shed 1,200 jobs mostly due to losses in the finance and insurance industries. At 221,500, financial activities employment is down by 2,100 from one year ago, due to weaker activity in the real estate, rental and leasing areas.

Trade, transportation and utilities added 200 jobs in September to 567,600, as gains in transportation, warehousing and utilities and wholesale trade more than offset continued declines in retail trade. Employment in this super sector is down 3,100 from one year ago, due to job declines of 6,400 in retail trade, which were partially offset by other job gains in wholesale trade (+1,800) and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+1,500).

Leisure and hospitality jobs were down 800 in September, after adding 800 jobs from the previous month. Job losses were centered in arts, entertainment, and recreation. Over the year, jobs are up 900 due to growth in accommodation and food services.

Information added 200 jobs in September. At 89,100, this super sector has added 300 jobs over the year due to growth in software publishing.

Other services and manufacturing each posted losses of 600 jobs. At 290,200, manufacturing employment is down 3,700 or 1.3 percent from one year ago.

Construction jobs were down by 1,000 in September. At 133,800, jobs are down 3,200 or 2.3 percent from one year ago.

The job numbers are the result of a monthly survey that uses U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology. More than 9,000 Massachusetts employers are surveyed to determine the number of jobs by industry. These estimates are the economic indicator used to gauge the Commonwealth's employment growth patterns.

Labor Force Overview
The Bay State's labor force increased by 1,300 over the month, with 2,400 fewer Massachusetts residents employed and 3,700 more unemployed. At 3,414,200, the labor force is up 8,500 from this time last year as 25,600 fewer residents were employed and 34,100 more were unemployed.

Labor force estimates for Massachusetts, developed using the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics model, are based on information on Massachusetts' residents' employment and unemployment status collected through a small monthly sample survey of households.

NOTES: Local area unemployment statistics for September 2008 will be released on Tuesday, October 21, 2008. The October 2008 unemployment rate and labor force data for Massachusetts will be released on Thursday, November 20, 2008, as will the October 2008 survey of jobs. . (See the January, 2008 Media Advisory annual schedule for complete listing of release dates.) Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi. Historical jobs and labor force estimates for Massachusetts have been revised as of 2/28/08.