Chart: Latest Unemployment Data

Statewide, the December seasonally unadjustedunemployment rate was 6.5 percent, up from 6.4 percent in November. Over-the-year the statewide rate was down 1.5 percentage points from the 8.0 percent rate recorded for December 2010.  All twenty-two labor area rates were down over the year. 

Locally Lynn showed the highest rate at 7.9 with 3,326 people unemployed in December. The lowest rate was in Topsfield were 129 people were unemployed in December - a rate of 4.3.

 

 City or Town  Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate  Beverly  21,397    20,132    1,265    5.9    Danvers  14,955    14,087    868    5.8    Essex  1,844    1,727    117    6.3    Gloucester  16,610    15,219    1,391    8.4    Hamilton  3,886    3,710    176    4.5    Ipswich  7,447    7,018    429    5.8    Lynn  42,132    38,806    3,326    7.9    Lynnfield  5,905    5,635    270    4.6    Manchester-by-the-Sea  2,708    2,572    136    5.0    Marblehead  11,073    10,570    503    4.5    Middleton  4,215    3,972    243    5.8    Nahant  2,046    1,938    108    5.3    Peabody  27,938    26,318    1,620    5.8    Rockport  4,121    3,855    266    6.5    Salem  23,885    22,334    1,551    6.5    Saugus  15,150    14,213    937    6.2    Swampscott  7,716    7,351    365    4.7    Topsfield  2,984    2,855    129    4.3    Wenham  1,812    1,718    94    5.2