BOSTON — The state unemployment has dropped from 7.4 to 7.3 percent in September, the lowest rate since January 2009, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
The rate is lower than the national jobless rate of 9.1.
Preliminary September job estimates show a decrease of 2,300 jobs for a total of 3,231,700 jobs in Massachusetts. The September job loss follows a revised 10,500 job loss in August, previously reported as a loss of 8,900 jobs.
In September, Information; Professional, Scientific, and Business Services; Education and Health Services; and Manufacturing posted over-the-month job gains.
Year-to-date (December 2010 to September 2011), 37,900 jobs have been added in the Bay State with 43,800 private sector jobs added. Over-the-year (September 2010 to September 2011), jobs are up 48,700, for a growth rate of 1.5 percent. Private sector jobs are up 53,800, for a growth rate of 2.0 percent with gains in nine of the 10 sectors. Over-the-year, the national rate of job growth is 1.1 percent with private sector job growth up 1.7 percent.
The largest job gains over the month were in Information (5,200); the biggest losses were in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (3,500).
Local area unemployment statistics for September 2011 will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 25. The full press release is here.
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