Chamber releases monthly Massachusetts Jobs Update

Highlights from this month's update:

• State added 5,000 jobs last month, bringing the year-to-date job growth total to 51,600. State posted 1.7% job growth in the last 12 months, outpacing the U.S. rate of 1.2%.
• State unemployment fell three-tenths of a point to 7.0%, posting its lowest monthly rate since December 2008 and remaining well below the U.S. rate of 8.6%.
• Four of 12 regions added jobs last month, led by the addition of 5,800 jobs in the Greater Boston region. All 12 regions added jobs year-over-year with the strongest growth in the Greater Pittsfield and Worcester regions.
• Leisure & Hospitality (+4,300) posted the largest monthly private sector job gain at the state level, followed by Trade, Transportation & Utilities (+3,000) and Education & Health Services (+900).