Mass. unemployment rate down to 7.6%, but jobs drop by 4,000

BOSTON – Massachusetts’ total unemployment rate in May dropped to 7.6 percent, down from 7.8 percent in April, the Mass. Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported last week.
The preliminary May job estimates also showed 3.22 million jobs in Massachusetts, a decrease of 4,000 jobs. Government lost 2,600 jobs and the private sector lost 1,400.
According to a news release, job gains occurred in professional, scientific and business services; construction; manufacturing; education and health services; other services; and information. Leisure and hospitality; government; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities and mining and logging lost jobs.
The May job loss follows a revised 20,300 jobs gain in April.
Year over year, jobs in Massachusetts were up 27,500, or about 1 percent. Private-sector jobs were up 44,800, or 1.6 percent.
At 7.6 percent, the Massachusetts unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since February 2009 and remains below the 9.1 percent national rate. &#8226