Business & Tech
Melrose Unemployment Rate Continues to Fall
A look at unemployment rates in Greater Boston.
The state's unemployment rate dropped to 6.4 percent in March, down significantly from the 7.5 percent mark posted in February, according to numbers released by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
That dip is reflected in many of the communities in and around Boston. In Melrose, the rate dropped to 4.3 percent, more than two percentage points below the state average. Nearby communities are also below the state average, with Wakefield, Stoneham, Malden and Medford all hovering in the 5 to 5.5 percent range. Next door neighbor Saugus is sitting a 5.9, having shown improvement the past two months.
About a year ago in March 2011, , the lowest level in 13 months at that point. Over the prior year, the city's unemployment rate had averaged 6.7 percent.
Find out what's happening in Melrosefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Brigid Alverson, aide to Mayor Rob Dolan and administrator of the city's Emergency Fund, when it comes to residents seeking assistance through the Emergency Fund, adding that Melrose tends to have more professionals, many of whom were unemployed for the first time.
The table below shows the unemployment rates for a sampling of Greater Boston. Have you seen evidence of a stronger hiring market? Are you a business owner looking for more help? Tell us about it in the comment section below.
Find out what's happening in Melrosefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Feb. 2012
Jan. 2012
3.7% 4.2% 4.3% Boston 5.5% 6.6% 7.1% Cambridge 3.3% 4.1% 4.3% Chelsea 8.7% 10.4% 11.1% Everett 6.5% 7.6% 7.8% Lynnfield 4.3% 5.2% 5% Malden 5.4% 6.1% 6.4% Medford 5.2% 6% 6.2% Melrose 4.3% 5% 5.2% Reading 4.2% 5.2% 5.1% Revere 7.5% 8.6% 8.9% Saugus 5.9% 6.9% 7.1% Somerville 3.9% 4.8% 5% Stoneham 5.2% 6.1% 6.5% Wakefield 5% 6.1% 6% Winchester 3.8% 4.6% 4.6% Winthrop 6% 6.6% 7.3% Woburn 5.4% 6.6% 6.3%
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