BOSTON - , July 21, 2009 --- The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the Barnstable, Tisbury and Nantucket labor areas recorded lower unemployment rates in June than in May reflecting seasonal declines in unemployment.  Rates were higher in the remaining areas.

In June job growth occurred in six of the Commonwealth's twelve areas for which unadjusted job estimates were published and jobs were unchanged in three other areas.  The Barnstable labor area saw the largest over the month percentage increase in jobs. The Pittsfield, Framingham, Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Boston-Quincy-Cambridge and Worcester areas also recorded over the month 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 8.0 percent in May to 8.7 percent for June 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 June 2009 unemployment rate released last week increased from 8.2 percent in May to 8.6 percent in June. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted jobs estimate for June showed job losses over the month and over the year.

NOTES: The July 2009 unemployment rate, labor force data and survey of jobs for Massachusetts will be released on August 20, 2009; local unemployment statistics will be released on August 25, 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 June 2009 estimates, the data for the Pittsfield and Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner NECTA areas are 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.