State Labor Department Reports Seasonal Unemployment Increases

Job creation in greater Haverhill and the Merrimack Valley during June was apparently not enough to hold back rising local unemployment rates reported across the region.

Seasonally unadjusted numbers released Tuesday by the labor department find Haverhill’s jobless rate in June climbed to 4.3 percent, in comparison to May’s 3.9 percent. The rate equals the statewide average for June, which climbed by one half percent. While 587 jobs were added in the city during June, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits increased by 191, or a total of 1,523. Elsewhere, in WHAV’s listening area, Methuen reported the high rate of 4.6 percent.  Groveland and West Newbury unemployment rates were least impacted as they each ticked upward to 2.8 percent and 3 percent respectively. Andover’s 3.6 percent June unemployment rate, as for the state, rose a half percent from May.

“The state showed an estimated 16,400 seasonally adjusted job gains in June, boosted partially by the resolution of a temporary labor dispute,” according to a statement. “The over-the-year job gains are estimated at 67,300.”

In light of the month to month uptick, unemployment rate across the region remain lower than those in June of last year. In Lawrence, for example, its region-high 7.7 percent unemployment last month is, compared to a year ago, the region’s greatest decrease by 1.9 percent.