Mass. is finally back to its pre-pandemic job level

Massachusetts is back to pre-pandemic numbers when it comes to the workforce. 

About 19,000 jobs were added in June, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Now with an employment total of 3.75 million jobs, Massachusetts has finally surpassed the February 2020 number of total employment — by 9,000 jobs. 

The state’s labor force participation rate, or the percentage of the adult population with a job or seeking one, is currently 65.7%. This is also the highest it’s been since February 2020. 

Although the United States overall has been able to recover from COVID-19 related job loses, Massachusetts has been slow on the uptake.

Slow population growth and retirement affected the Massachusetts job market, according to The Boston Globe, which could possibly explain why it took 54 months to catch up to our pre-pandemic employment numbers. 

However, a gain of 28,000 in the labor force, or the people with a job or currently looking for one, in Massachusetts made up for a slow January and February. The state’s unemployment rate is currently 3.2%, an increase of .2%. 

The sector with the highest number of new jobs was the government, which added 8,300 jobs. Other highlights include the education and health services sector, adding 5,800, and the professional, scientific, and business services, adding 3,300.