Boston Jobs Continue to Increase

Posted on June 23, 2009

Even though the area’s unemployment rate saw a slight increase, tens of thousands of Boston jobs were added from April to May.

The Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area’s unemployment rate increased from 7.2 percent to 7.5 percent during May, which is still lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent. This is a slight setback from April, when the unemployment rate decreased from 7.4 percent to 7.2 percent.

The area had a total non-farm employment of 2,444,200 workers during May, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 2,428,200 workers during April, but a 2.7 percent decrease from last year.

Once again, the construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year, although the industry added jobs from April to May. The construction industry employed 83,200 workers during May, up from 80,400 workers during April, but a 15.9 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year jobs decrease include:

• mining and logging by 11.1 percent
• manufacturing by 4.2 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 4 percent
• information by 3.3 percent
• financial activities by 5.4 percent
• professional and business services by 5.7 percent
• leisure and hospitality by .4 percent
• other services by 2.8 percent

Only two industries added jobs when compared to last year. The education and health services industry employed 485,100 workers during May, down from 489,500 workers during April, but a 2.1 percent increase from last year. The government industry employed 311,800 workers during May, down from 312,700 workers during April, but a .6 percent increase from last year.