Counties with the highest unemployment in Massachusetts

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August 30, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Massachusetts

Unemployment rates are rising across U.S. metropolitan areas, provoking alarm across the nation and likely leading to interest rate cuts in September.

As of July, unemployment rates increased in 350 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 47 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Massachusetts, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in July 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

The national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 4.3%. Still, it's up substantially from 3.5% during the same month last year and has climbed to the highest rate since November 2021. By comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.

The Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from curbing inflation to unemployment, indicating plans to cut interest rates in the coming weeks and months to alleviate economic strain and avoid further job losses.

Since last year, unemployment has spiked in over half of states—a signal often indicating a looming recession, as Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar told Business Insider. These jobless rates, paired with layoffs among major U.S. employers like Google and Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. Minus a major economic blow, economists continue to forecast that the U.S. is tracking toward an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing."

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Massachusetts.

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#14. Nantucket County/town

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,667 people (318 unemployed)

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#13. Dukes County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,664 people (390 unemployed)

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#12. Franklin County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,363 people (1,555 unemployed)

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#11. Barnstable County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 124,439 people (5,114 unemployed)

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#10. Middlesex County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 954,664 people (39,580 unemployed)

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#9. Hampshire County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 91,506 people (3,813 unemployed)

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#8. Berkshire County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 65,675 people (2,804 unemployed)

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#7. Norfolk County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 411,931 people (17,669 unemployed)

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#6. Plymouth County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 296,376 people (13,768 unemployed)

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#5. Suffolk County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 475,699 people (21,917 unemployed)

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#4. Essex County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 442,870 people (20,787 unemployed)

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#3. Worcester County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 460,258 people (21,966 unemployed)

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#2. Bristol County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 311,312 people (16,231 unemployed)

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#1. Hampden County

- July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 229,410 people (13,323 unemployed)

This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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