Mass. added 9,100 jobs in February

BOSTON – Preliminary February 2012 estimates show that Massachusetts added 9,100 jobs from January, for a total of 3.23 million jobs, the Mass. Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced last week. The total unemployment rate remained at 6.9 percent for the third consecutive month, below the national rate of 8.3 percent. It is the lowest monthly rate since December 2008, the office said.
In February 2012, the private sector added 9,000 jobs. Seven of the 10 private sectors produced gains, the largest of which occurred in leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation, and utilities; and education and health services. The February job gain follows a revised 13,900 job gain in January that was previously reported as a 6,600 gain.
Year to date, Massachusetts overall has added 23,000 jobs. The state’s private sector has added 24,200 jobs. Since February 2011, Massachusetts added 27,100 jobs, with a 31,100 increase in the private sector.
The February 2012 estimates show 3.22 Massachusetts residents were employed and 238,200 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,458,500. Since the unemployment rate peaked at 8.7 percent in October 2009, there are 59,800 more residents employed and 62,800 fewer residents unemployed. &#8226

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