Press Release: 3/31/2025
Massachusetts Unemployment and Job Estimates for February 2025
Labor Force Increases by 6,600; 2,700 more individuals employed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
3/28/2025
MEDIA CONTACT Matthew Kitsos, Deputy Chief of Staff & Director of Communications
Online
Email Matthew Kitsos, Deputy Chief of Staff & Director of Communications at matthew.kitsos2@mass.gov
BOSTON — The state’s February total unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, a 0.1 percentage point increase from the revised January estimate of 4.2 percent, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday. The Massachusetts unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points above the national rate of 4.1 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over-the-year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up by 0.5 percentage points. The March unemployment and job estimates will be released on April 18, 2025.
At the same time, the labor force increased by an estimated 6,600 from the revised estimate of 3,925,800 in January. The state’s labor force participation rate – the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks – remained unchanged at 66.5 percent. Compared to February 2024, the labor force participation rate increased by 0.5 percentage points over-the-year. Massachusetts Labor Force Participation Rate was 4.1 percentage points higher than the national rate.
According to preliminary data from BLS, 2,700 more Massachusetts residents were employed in February. This follows a January increase of 6,600 employed residents. This data includes individuals who are self-employed, including contractors, construction managers, physicians, and drivers.
The BLS preliminary payroll job estimates for Massachusetts decreased by 2,400 jobs in February. This follows January’s revised loss of 3,300 payroll jobs. The largest over-the-month private sector payroll job losses were in Leisure and Hospitality, Financial Activities, and Professional, Scientific, and Business Services. Payroll employment now stands at 3,716,500. Massachusetts gained 659,700 payroll jobs since the employment low in April 2020.
February 2025 Payroll Employment Overview
- Education and Health Services gained 2,600 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 10,400 were added.
- Construction gained 1,400 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 4,400 were lost.
- Information gained 1,000 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 2,500 were lost.
- Trade, Transportation, and Utilities gained 100 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 4,700 were lost.
- Manufacturing lost 100 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 2,900 were lost.
- Other Services lost 100 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 600 were lost.
- Government lost 500 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 4,100 were added.
- Financial Activities lost 1,100 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 600 were lost.
- Professional, Scientific, and Business Services lost 1,100 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 7,100 were lost.
- Leisure and Hospitality lost 4,600 jobs over-the-month. Over-the-year, 100 were added.
Labor Force Overview
The February estimates show 3,763,700 Massachusetts residents were employed and 168,700 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,932,400. The unemployment rate at 4.3 percent was 0.1 percentage point higher than the revised January rate of 4.2 percent. Over-the-month, the February labor force increased by 6,600 from 3,925,800 in January, with 2,700 more residents employed and 3,900 more residents unemployed. The labor force participation rate, the share of the working age population employed and unemployed, remained at 66.5 percent. The labor force was up 60,800 from the February 2024 estimate of 3,871,600 following the annual revision, with 38,700 more employed residents, and 22,000 more unemployed residents.
The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends.
NOTES:
The labor force is the sum of the numbers of employed residents and those unemployed, that is, residents not working but actively seeking work in the last four weeks. Estimates may not add up to the total labor force due to rounding.
For further information on seasonal adjustment methodology, please refer to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website https://www.bls.gov.
The preliminary March 2025 and revised February 2025 unemployment rate, labor force, and job estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Friday, April 18, 2025. See the 2025 Media Advisory annual schedule for a complete list of release dates.
Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/economicresearch.