The Massachusetts unemployment rate dropped to 2.8 percent in May, nearly a full point below the national rate, as the labor market continues to hold up despite slower economic growth in recent months.
The jobless rated released Friday morning was 0.3 percentage points below the revised April rate of 3.1 percent. The April jobless rate was originally reported last month at 3.3 percent.
The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development on Friday also cited Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates indicating that Massachusetts gained 5,700 jobs in May, on the heels of April’s revised gain of 5,900 jobs.
Massachusetts has gained 704,100 jobs since employment levels plummeted in April 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past year, the state has gained 105,100 jobs, according to the bureau’s estimates.
The national jobless rate for May was 3.7 percent.
