Tuesday, October 21, 2008 --- Preliminary estimates show that unemployment rates for September, not adjusted for seasonality, were lower in the Amherst and Greenfield labor market areas than in August  . Unemployment rates remained unchanged in five labor areas, while fifteen other areas recorded rate increases, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

Job estimates not adjusted for seasonality show Massachusetts added jobs both over the month and over the year.   

Statewide the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate is at 5.3 percent in September, up slightly from 5.1 percent in August.

Nine of the Commonwealth's twelve labor market areas for which monthly jobs estimates are published posted seasonal job increases in September as public and private schools returned from summer vacations. The New Bedford labor market area, which added 1,500 jobs for a growth rate of +2.3 percent over the month, posted the largest growth rate of all of the labor market areas due to seasonal growth in state and local education.

Job growth rates of greater than one percent were recorded in the Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Springfield and Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner areas. Seasonal declines were recorded in the Barnstable and Pittsfield areas.

Jobs increased in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy and Framingham labor areas over the year while the remaining ten labor areas posted seasonal job losses.

The job estimates for the labor market areas are not adjusted for seasonality and may show some differences from the statewide seasonally adjusted job estimates and unemployment rates released on October 16, 2008.

Reflecting the impact of national economic slowdown, unemployment rates increased over the year in all Massachusetts labor areas.

The statewide seasonally adjusted September 2008 unemployment rate also edged up in September to 5.3 from the revised 5.2 percent rate in August. Seasonally adjusted statewide jobs estimates show jobs increasing over the year, but off in September.

NOTES: The October 2008 unemployment rate, labor force data and survey of jobs for Massachusetts will be released on November 20, 2008, local unemployment statistics will be released on November 25, 2008. Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.

*With the release of the January 2008 estimates, the data for the Pittsfield and Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner NECTA areas are no longer validated by US DOL BLS and the historical sub-state Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) series for 2007 have been revised. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Metropolitan New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs) must have an urbanized area population of 50,000 or more, while a Micropolitan NECTA must have an urban cluster population of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000. A NECTA containing a single core with a population of at least 2.5 million may be subdivided to smaller groupings of cities and towns referred to as NECTA Divisions.