The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported today that the state unemployment rate dropped to 9.0 percent from 9.2 percent in May, and the state rate remains below the 9.5 percent national rate….
The private sector added 3,400 jobs while Government lost 2,900 jobs….
The largest private sector job gains in June were in Leisure and Hospitality; Construction; and Trade, Transportation and Utilities. The Government decline in employment reflects a drop in the number of Federal Government temporary jobs for the Census.
The disappearance of census jobs was of course expected. The really good news from this (in addition to the declining unemployment rate) is the evidence of continued job growth across the private sector just in the month of June (the linked release has more info about previous months):
The Leisure and Hospitality sector gained 4,100 jobs (+1.4 percent) in June … Construction gained 2,000 jobs (+1.9 percent) in June … Trade, Transportation and Utilities jobs were up 1,600 (+0.3 percent) … Financial Activities gained 700 jobs in June (+0.3 percent) … Professional, Scientific and Business Services added 300 jobs (+0.1 percent) in June
Of the non-government categories included, only Educational Services and Manufacturing lost jobs last month, and those drops were fairly small (Manufacturing lost 300 jobs in June after adding 400 in May, and the release notes that the decrease in Educational Services jobs is exaggerated because of the seasonal nature of those jobs). So, overall, this jobs report is another in an ongoing streak of good economic news that continues to show MA outperforming the rest of the country in recovering from the recession.
As for the folks who are still looking for jobs, they might want to have a word with Senator Scott Brown, who continues to filibuster efforts to extend unemployment benefits out of wildly misplaced concerns about the deficit. In addition to being the right thing to do, extending unemployment benefits is an especially efficient economic stimulus, since it puts cash in the hands of people who need to spend it more or less immediately. Refusing to extend benefits is foolish, and simply inflicts pain on people for no good reason while hampering the overall recovery.
Our bluest-in-the-nation commonwealth is a pretty darned good place to live!
even those among us who advocate policies that would make it a less-good place to live. Why they do that is a continuing mystery.
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p>Is this anything to write home about or just hiring of summer help like any other year?
It’s better than 2009
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p>- June 2009 – 2,800 gain in Leisure and hospitality
– July 2009 – 3,900 gain in Leisure and hospitality
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p>Thankfully more people are vacationing in MA this year than last year. I also don’t know the absolute numbers of people employed in Leisure and hospitality in May of 2009 or 2010. Might be an interesting set of numbers.
additional 1,300 year to year June 2009 v. June 2010. But not to REALLY be a buzz kill, but I recall June 2009 having rain in all but 4 days, which didn’t exactly help the old Leisure and hospitality industry last year at all. Talk to any golf course manager about June 2009.
Leisure and hospitality industry… is servicing people from outside of MA and maybe the US so that industry hiring could mean very little about the status of the “core” MA economy and more about tourism (which yes I know is part of our economy).
Tourism is a huge industry here. Personally, I’m delighted to have folks from elsewhere come here and spend money!
My point was an increase in tourism isn’t necessarily a reflection of the MA as opposed the economy of wherever the tourists are coming from (and have enough discretionary income to spend it). I think Mike’s point which I agree with is the increase of June’s employment numbers (including the Leisure and hospitality industry employment) may be no more of an indication of solid growth in the MA economy than the employment of hundreds of thousands of US Census workers is an indication of growth in the US economy.