BOSTON - Tuesday, March 24, 2009 --- The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the February unemployment rates were lower in the Amherst and Greenfield labor market areas due to schools returning after the seasonal holiday break.  The preliminary unemployment rates, not adjusted for seasonality, were higher in all of the Commonwealth's other labor markets areas with the exception of Great Barrington whose unemployment rate was unchanged.

The Springfield, Worcester, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford and New Bedford areas posted seasonal job gains also due to schools returning from their seasonal breaks.  Job losses were recorded in the State's eight other labor areas for which unadjusted estimates are published. Over the year all of the labor areas recorded increases in unemployment rates and job losses.

Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate increased from 8.1 percent in January to 8.3 percent for February 2009. The unadjusted unemployment rates and jobs estimates for the labor markets may show different trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

The statewide seasonally adjusted February 2009 unemployment rate released last week increased from 7.4 percent in January to 7.8 percent. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted jobs estimate for February showed over the month and over the year losses.

News of Note for Unemployed Workers
Massachusetts residents currently receiving unemployment benefits will collect an additional $25 in weekly compensation thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The additional compensation will begin next Monday, March 23rd, and is retroactive from February 22, 2009. http://www.mass.gov/eolwd/weeklysupplement.

The federal recovery law provides additional relief for unemployed Massachusetts residents using COBRA. Eligible individuals may receive a subsidy for 65% of the costs of their health care premium. More information can be found at www.Mass.gov/EOLWD/COBRA.

Additionally, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has added extra staff and extended hours at the unemployment call centers. For more information, visit www.Mass.gov/dua.

NOTES: The March 2009 unemployment rate, labor force data and survey of jobs for Massachusetts will be released on April 16, 2009, local unemployment statistics will be released on April 21, 2009. Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.

With the release of the February 2009 estimates, the historical sub-state Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) series for 2004 through 2008 have been revised.

*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. 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.