July 2025 | Released August 19, 2025

Download the full PDF for Massachusetts

Download the summary PDF for Massachusetts

United States

Employment snapshot

• In July, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 6, rose in 15, and remained unchanged in 30.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.2 percent.

• In July, payroll jobs rose in 31 states and fell in 20. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.5 percent in Wyoming.

Massachusetts

Employment snapshot

• In July, Massachusetts lost 600 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8 percent. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,700 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Massachusetts added 8,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.7 percentage points from 4.1 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 73,000 in July, or 0 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 46th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In July, Massachusetts’s private sector lost 800 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 8,600 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,100 net private payroll jobs.

• In July, employment in Massachusetts rose by 2,687, and over the past 12 months it rose by 19,524.

• Massachusetts’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 66.9 percent in July and is tied for 9th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.5 percentage points.

---

Massachusetts

Payroll employment

• Massachusetts lost 600 net payroll jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during July. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,700 jobs. Massachusetts nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 6 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 73,000 in July, or 0 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 46th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Massachusetts lost 800 private sector jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during July. In the prior month, Massachusetts lost 3,100 jobs. Massachusetts private sector payroll employment has increased in 5 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 83,000 jobs in July, or 0.1 percent. Massachusetts is tied for 45th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From June 2025 to July 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+1,800) and Construction (+1,600).
• The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-3,100) and Leisure and Hospitality (-2,000).

From July 2024 to July 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+8,700) and Other Services (+3,900).
• The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-9,400) and Manufacturing (-1,000).

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 66.9 percent in July.

• Massachusetts is tied for 9th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Massachusetts was 67.4 percent occurring in January 2019, and the 10-year low was 61.1 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 62.2 percent in July.