The Boston job market page tracks unemployment, payroll jobs, layoffs and job postings for the City of Boston, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area and Massachusetts. Every figure below lists its reference month and release date. The latest official data covers August 2026. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) released it on Sept. 18, 2026, and local figures followed on Sept. 22. September 2026 estimates are scheduled for release on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.
Top photo: Boston’s Financial District. Nelson48 / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Jump to: Key numbersUnemployment trendJobs by sectorTrendsWARN layoffsIn-demand jobsFAQSources
Boston job market key numbers
August’s figures are preliminary, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will revise them. The national unemployment rate was 4.1% in August 2026, according to the state release, so Massachusetts was 0.2 points above the U.S. rate.
Federal data gap: BLS did not produce October 2025 household-survey (unemployment) estimates for states or local areas because of the federal government shutdown. That month is blank in the charts and tables on this page, and over-the-year comparisons skip it. The state’s June 2026 data sheet also flags the gap.
Unemployment trend in Boston and Massachusetts
Massachusetts unemployment rose from 4.1% in mid-2024 to a peak of 4.8% in February 2026, then fell for six straight months to 4.3% in August 2026. EOLWD says that is the lowest rate since March 2025. In August, the labor force grew by about 900, with roughly 3,100 more residents employed and 2,200 fewer unemployed, according to the state.
The labor force is still smaller than a year earlier. BLS puts it at 3,871,860 in August 2026, down about 71,000 from 3,943,000 in August 2025. Mark Rembert, chief economist at the state Department of Economic Research, said in the Sept. 18 release that “retirements among older workers continue to limit labor force growth.” He added that unemployment among workers aged 25 to 54 is relatively low.
City and metro rates are not seasonally adjusted, so they rise and fall with the seasons (for example, they usually rise in summer and January). In the City of Boston, the rate was 4.4% in August 2026, down from 4.7% in August 2025. About 17,800 of the city’s 402,600 labor force members were unemployed. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area, the rate was 4.1%, down from 4.4% a year earlier.
| Area (Aug. 2026) | Unemployment rate | Year earlier | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts (SA) | 4.3% | 4.5% | 3,871,860 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MSA (NSA) | 4.1% | 4.4% | 2,823,792 |
| City of Boston (NSA) | 4.4% | 4.7% | 402,589 |
Massachusetts jobs by sector
Massachusetts lost 7,100 payroll jobs in August 2026, after a revised loss of 4,000 in July. Most of the August drop came from professional and business services, which fell by 6,400. Over 12 months, the state added 8,300 jobs. Education and health services added 14,400, more than all the other growing sectors combined. Professional and business services, trade and transportation, and financial activities each lost more than 3,000 jobs.
| Sector (Massachusetts, SA) | Jobs, Aug. 2026 | Change vs. July | Change vs. Aug. 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education & health services | 862,800 | -700 | +14,400 |
| Professional & business services | 604,700 | -6,400 | -3,200 |
| Trade, transportation & utilities | 555,600 | -1,400 | -4,400 |
| Government | 475,100 | +200 | +400 |
| Leisure & hospitality | 362,000 | +400 | -500 |
| Manufacturing | 229,700 | +1,400 | +4,100 |
| Financial activities | 220,100 | +300 | -3,100 |
| Construction | 167,900 | -1,400 | +2,300 |
| Other services | 139,100 | -300 | +300 |
| Information | 87,900 | +800 | -2,100 |
| Total nonfarm | 3,706,000 | -7,100 | +8,300 |
Figures are preliminary August 2026 BLS estimates, rounded to the nearest hundred. Sector totals do not include the self-employed.
Boston job market trends
Metro payrolls are about flat. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area had 2,745,600 payroll jobs in August 2026, not seasonally adjusted. That is about 5,000 more than in August 2025 (2,740,600), according to BLS.
Postings are below pre-pandemic levels but rising. Indeed Hiring Lab’s index for the Boston metro was 84.1 on Oct. 2, 2026. That means job postings were about 16% below the February 2020 baseline. The index was 80.7 a year earlier and peaked near 146 in January 2022. The national index was 103.8 on the same date, so Boston-area postings remain weaker than the U.S. as a whole.
Life sciences and health care are moving in different directions. Health care and education led state job growth. At the same time, several WARN filings this year came from biotech and pharmaceutical employers, including Blueprint Medicines in Cambridge, TScan Therapeutics in Waltham and EMD Serono in Billerica. On Sept. 17, Gov. Maura Healey attended the opening of the Roche Genentech Innovation Center in Boston and announced $5.2 million in Massachusetts Life Sciences Center workforce awards meant to create 439 training opportunities.
For more on the local economy, see our fall 2026 Boston small business economy report, the Boston minimum wage and sick-time guide and the Boston Small Business Guide.
Recent WARN layoff notices in Massachusetts
Employers with 50 or more workers must file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice before a mass layoff or closure. The table lists notices received from July 1, 2026, from the state’s weekly report for the week ending Oct. 9, 2026. Each employer appears once, with its latest filing and the number of workers in that filing.
| Received | Employer | Location | Layoff date(s) | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 25, 2026 | Revvity (updated) | Lawrence | Dec. 9, 2025 to June 30, 2027 | 53 |
| Sept. 24, 2026 | Retail Therapy LLC (Frugal Fannie’s) | Westwood | Nov. 23, 2026 | 214 |
| Sept. 9, 2026 | Metri BWI LLC | Leominster | Oct. 31, 2026 | 25 |
| Sept. 2, 2026 | TScan Therapeutics | Waltham | Nov. 2, 2026 | 96 |
| Aug. 24, 2026 | P1 Logistics LLC | Littleton | Oct. 24 to Dec. 23, 2026 | 77 |
| Aug. 17, 2026 | Noble Equity Holdings and affiliates (Noble) | Boston | Oct. 9 to Oct. 23, 2026 | 59 |
| Aug. 13, 2026 | Postal Center International | Franklin | Aug. 13 to Sept. 30, 2026 | 112 |
| Aug. 10, 2026 | Community Healthlink (updated) | Worcester and Leominster | Oct. 9, 2026 | 639 |
| Aug. 7, 2026 | Blueprint Medicines (Sanofi) | Cambridge | Oct. 9, 2026 to June 25, 2027 | 229 |
| Aug. 7, 2026 | National Express Transit (Kiessling of Attleboro) | Taunton and Wareham | Sept. 15, 2026 | 162 |
| July 9, 2026 | SDH Education East (Sodexo) | Waltham | Aug. 11, 2026 | 173 |
| July 6, 2026 | Joymark Inc. (G2O Spa + Salon) | Boston | Aug. 31, 2026 | 55 |
| July 6, 2026 | EMD Serono Research Development Institute | Billerica | Sept. 4, 2026 | 70 |
| July 1, 2026 | Labouré College of Healthcare | Milton | Aug. 30, 2026 to June 30, 2027 | 65 |
Smaller filings and later updates are in the full state report. A WARN notice reports a planned action; the final number of jobs affected can change.
In-demand jobs in the Boston area
Based on the data above, these fields are adding jobs or job postings:
- Health care and social assistance, and education. This group added 14,400 jobs statewide in the 12 months to August 2026, more than any other sector (BLS).
- Manufacturing. Up 4,100 jobs over the year (BLS), with new investment such as Roche Genentech’s Boston center.
- Construction and skilled trades. Up 2,300 over the year (BLS). The MBTA says its North Station Draw One Bridge replacement will create more than 15,000 jobs.
- Engineering and pharmacy. Nationally, Indeed postings for mechanical engineering, pharmacy, industrial engineering and electrical engineering rose 15% to 26% between Oct. 2, 2025, and Oct. 2, 2026. These are U.S. figures, not Boston-specific.
- Offshore wind and maritime. In September 2026, the state announced $4.2 million for 20 workforce and research projects (EOLWD).
Job seekers can use free MassHire Career Centers for job listings, hiring events and training. The state’s Department of Economic Research also publishes a monthly job postings dashboard and a list of high-demand occupations.
Boston job market FAQ
What is the unemployment rate in Boston right now?
The City of Boston’s unemployment rate was 4.4% in August 2026, and the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro rate was 4.1%. Neither figure is seasonally adjusted. Massachusetts was at 4.3% (seasonally adjusted).
Is Massachusetts adding or losing jobs?
The state lost 7,100 jobs in August 2026 and 4,000 in July (revised). It is still up 8,300 jobs over the past 12 months.
Which industries are hiring in Boston?
Education and health services added the most jobs over the year (+14,400 statewide), followed by manufacturing (+4,100) and construction (+2,300). Professional and business services, trade and transportation, and finance lost jobs.
When is the next Massachusetts jobs report?
EOLWD will release September 2026 estimates on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. Local-area figures usually follow a few business days later. This page will be updated with the new data.
Why is October 2025 data missing?
BLS did not collect state and local household-survey data for October 2025 because of the federal government shutdown, so there is no unemployment rate for that month.
Sources
- EOLWD: Massachusetts’ Unemployment Rate Improves to 4.3%; Labor Force Grows in August (Sept. 18, 2026)
- Massachusetts Department of Economic Research
- Massachusetts LMI Data Sheet
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (series LASST250000000000003, LAUMT251446000000003, LAUCT250700000000003)
- BLS State and Metro Area Employment (CES) (series SMS25000000000000001, SMU25144600000000001 and supersectors)
- FRED: Unemployment Rate in Massachusetts (MAUR)
- Mass.gov: WARN layoff and closure updates
- State Library of Massachusetts: WARN weekly report, week ending Oct. 9, 2026
- Indeed Hiring Lab job postings tracker data
- Wikimedia Commons: Boston Financial District skyline (public domain)
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