Job gains slow down in August

Bay State job growth slowed substantially in August as employers added 2,600 jobs and the statewide unemployment rate ticked upward to an even 5%, labor officials announced late last week.

After holding at 4.9% in July, the state unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in August, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said. The number of jobs gained in August was just a fraction of the revised 41,600 added in July and represented the smallest one-month increase this year. Businesses have added nearly 460,000 jobs since April 2020, though total statewide employment remains about 195,000 positions below March 2020.

Government, construction, leisure and hospitality sectors added jobs in August.