August 2026
Released September 18, 2026
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United States
Employment snapshot
In August, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 28, rose in 4, and remained unchanged in 19.
The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in August.
In August, payroll jobs rose in 35 states and fell in 16. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in New Mexico. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Maryland.
Massachusetts
Employment snapshot
In August, Massachusetts lost 7,100 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 4,000 net payroll jobs.
Over the past 12 months, Massachusetts added 8,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points from 4.5 percent.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, or 0.1 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 27th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
In August, Massachusetts’s private sector lost 7,300 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 7,900 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 2,700 net private payroll jobs.
In August, employment in Massachusetts rose by 3,119, and over the past 12 months it fell by 59,198.
Massachusetts’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 65.3 percent in August and is tied for 10th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 1.2 percentage points.
Massachusetts
Payroll employment
Massachusetts lost 7,100 net payroll jobs, or -0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 4,000 jobs. Massachusetts nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, or 0.1 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 27th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
Massachusetts lost 7,300 private sector jobs, or -0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 2,700 jobs. Massachusetts private sector payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 127,000 jobs in August, or 0.1 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 35th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
From July 2026 to August 2026:
- The best performing sectors were Manufacturing (+1,400) and Information (+800).
- The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-6,400) and Construction (-1,400).
From August 2025 to August 2026:
- The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+14,400) and Manufacturing (+4,100).
- The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-4,400) and Professional and Business Services (-3,200).
Massachusetts
Labor force
The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The labor force participation rate in Massachusetts remained unchanged at 65.3 percent in August.
Massachusetts is tied for 10th in the nation.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Massachusetts was 67.4 percent occurring in July 2018, and the 10-year low was 61.1 percent in April 2020.
The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 61.6 percent in August.