Business & Tech

Wakefield Unemployment Numbers Continue to Improve

The state continues to add jobs, though the picture is less clear community to community.

Unemployment in Wakefield continues to drop.

The state's unemployment rate ticked down another tenth of a percentage point, according to figures released by the state's Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The May rate is 5.8 percent, down from 5.9 percent in April. The state gained 17,000 jobs over the month.

The trend line isn't as clear at the city-by-city level, according to figures released Tuesday by Workforce Development. Some communities, like Boston and Cambridge, continued to lower their rates, while others saw an uptick in unemployment.

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Wakefield's rate dropped a tenth of a percentage point, from 4.8 to 4.7 percent. That's well below the state's unemployment rate.

The table below shows the unemployment rates for a sampling of Greater Boston. Have you seen evidence of a stronger hiring market? Are you a business owner looking for more help? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

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Community May 2012 April 2012 March 2012

Feb. 2012

 Jan. 2012

Arlington
3.5% 3.5% 3.6% 4.2% 4.3% Boston 5.7% 5.5% 5.5% 6.6% 7.1% Cambridge 3.6% 3.4% 3.3% 4.1% 4.3% Chelsea 7.3% 7.5% 8.7% 10.4% 11.1% Everett 6% 5.9%* 6.5% 7.6% 7.8% Lynnfield 4.3% 4.3% 4.2% 5.2% 5% Malden 5.1% 5.2% 5.4% 6.1% 6.4% Medford 4.8% 5% 5.2% 6% 6.2% Melrose 4.2% 4.3% 4.4% 5% 5.2% Reading 4.1% 4.1% 4.2% 5.2% 5.1% Revere 6.8% 7% 7.5% 8.6% 8.9% Saugus 5.4% 5.7% 5.9% 6.9% 7.1% Somerville 3.8% 3.9% 3.9% 4.8% 5% Stoneham 5% 5.1% 5.1% 6.1% 6.5% Wakefield 4.7% 4.8% 5% 6.1% 6% Winchester 3.9% 4%* 3.8% 4.6% 4.6% Winthrop 5.8% 5.7% 5.9% 6.6% 7.3% Woburn 5.1% 5.2% 5.5% 6.6% 6.3%

* April numbers were readjusted and in some cases resulted in a percentage change for the marked communities.

SOURCE: Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Unemployment Assistance


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