In May, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 13, rose in 17, and remained unchanged in 21.
The highest unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2 percent in North Dakota and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4 percent.
In May, payroll jobs rose in 42 states and fell in 9. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.9 percent in Idaho. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Minnesota.
In May, Massachusetts added 4,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3 percent. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,800 net payroll jobs.
Over the past 12 months, Massachusetts added 21,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points from 3.3 percent.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 272,000 in May, or 0.2 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 46th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
In May, Massachusetts’s private sector added 4,700 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 18,100 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,300 net private payroll jobs.
In May, employment in Massachusetts rose by 7,536, and over the past 12 months it rose by 39,330.
Massachusetts’s labor force participation rate rose to 65.3 percent in May from 65.1 percent and is tied for 14th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.2 percentage points.
Massachusetts added 4,200 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,800 jobs. Massachusetts nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 272,000 in May, or 0.2 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 46th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
Massachusetts added 4,700 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,300 jobs. Massachusetts private sector payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 229,000 jobs in May, or 0.2 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 42nd in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during May were Leisure and Hospitality (2,900) and Education and Health Services (2,500).
The poorest performing sectors during the month were Professional and Business Services (-700) and Manufacturing (-1,600).
The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (18,100) and Leisure and Hospitality (9,500).
The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Manufacturing (-5,100) and Professional and Business Services (-7,000).
The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The labor force participation rate in Massachusetts rose to 65.3 percent in May from 65.1 percent in the prior month.
Massachusetts is tied for 14th in the nation.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Massachusetts was 67.4 percent in January 2019, and the 10-year low was 60.8 percent in April 2020.
The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 62.5 percent in May.