State Adds 5,600 Jobs, Unemployment Stays At 8.3%
BOSTON (AP) -- State officials say the unemployment rate in Massachusetts remained at 8.3 percent in January while the state added 5,600 jobs.
The Office of Labor and Workforce Development said Thursday that preliminary estimates for the month showed more than 3.2 million residents had jobs in Massachusetts, while about 290,000 were unemployed.
The jobless rate was unchanged from December, but was a half-point lower than the 8.8 percent rate in January 2010.
Massachusetts also remains below the current national unemployment rate of 9 percent.
Officials say job gains were seen in several sectors including construction; education and health services; trade, transportation and utilities; and financial activities.
Sectors that lost jobs in January included manufacturing, government, and the leisure and hospitality industry.
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