Mass. adds 8K jobs; unemployment rate drops to 6.3 percent

BOSTON – The Mass. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced last week that preliminary estimates show the state added 8,100 jobs in March and that the total unemployment rate dropped another 0.2 of a percentage point, to 6.3 percent, from the February rate.
According to the bureau, private-sector jobs were up 7,800. Since March 2013, Massachusetts added a net of 50,400 jobs, with 53,900 jobs added in the private sector and 3,500 lost in the public sector. The total unemployment rate was down 0.6 of a percentage point from the March 2013 rate of 6.9 percent.
Additionally, the bureau also revised its February estimates upward to 5,500 jobs, from the 3,800 jobs previously reported for the month.
Regarding specific industry sectors:
• Education and health services gained 5,700 jobs over the month, 14,800 over the year.
• Trade, transportation and utilities added 3,100 jobs over the month, 9,900 over the year.
• Other services gained 1,700 jobs over the month, 4,300 over the year.
• Information added 600 jobs over the month, 5,000 over the year.
• Leisure and hospitality gained 200 jobs over the month, 4,500 over the year.
• Professional, scientific and business services lost 2,100 jobs over the month, but added 14,500 over the year.
• Construction lost 900 jobs over the month, but added 2,300 over the year.
• Manufacturing lost 300 jobs over the month, and lost 800 jobs over the year. •

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