BOSTON - Tuesday, October 20, 2009 --- The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that unemployment rates were higher in September in all of the Commonwealth's labor market areas.  The Greenfield and Amherst area rates were one tenth of a percentage point higher. The largest over the month rate increases were in the Barnstable, Tisbury and Nantucket areas as the end of the summer tourist season came to a close. Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate increased from 8.9 percent in August to 9.3 percent in September.

Job gains were recorded in September in nine of the Commonwealth's twelve areas for which unadjusted job estimates were published.  The largest over the month percentage increases in jobs were in the New Bedford, Springfield, Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton and Worcester areas. Jobs were unchanged in the Framingham area while the Barnstable and Pittsfield areas recorded seasonal job losses. In the Barnstable area, the over the month job losses in both Leisure and Hospitality and Trade, Transportation and Utilities were less in September than the over the month losses last year. Over the year, all of the labor areas recorded increases in unemployment rates and job losses.

The statewide seasonally adjusted September 2009 unemployment rate, released last week, increased from 9.1 percent in August to 9.3 percent in September. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted jobs estimate for September showed 9,200 job losses over the month. The unadjusted unemployment rates and jobs estimates for the labor markets may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

NOTES: The October 2009 unemployment rate, labor force data and survey of jobs for Massachusetts will be released on November 19, 2009; local unemployment statistics will be released on November 24, 2009. Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.

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.