BOSTON - Tuesday, June 23, 2009 --- The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that May unemployment rates were lower in seven of the Commonwealth's labor market areas than in April.  The Barnstable, Tisbury and Nantucket area rates reflected seasonal declines. Rates were unchanged in the Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury and New Bedford areas and higher in the thirteen remaining areas.

In May job gains occurred in all of the labor areas for which unadjusted job estimates are published.  The Barnstable, Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Springfield and Pittsfield* areas recorded the largest over the month percentage increases in jobs. Over the year all of the labor areas recorded increases in unemployment rates and job losses.

Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate increased from 7.8 percent in April to 8.0 percent for May 2009. The unadjusted unemployment rates and jobs estimates for the labor markets may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates. The statewide seasonally adjusted May 2009 unemployment rate released last week increased from 8.0 percent in April to 8.2 percent in May. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted jobs estimate for May showed job gains over the month and over the year losses.

NOTES: The June 2009 unemployment rate, labor force data and survey of jobs for Massachusetts will be released on July 16, 2009; local unemployment statistics will be released on July 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.