Unemployment on the North Shore Reaches 17.1%
Job Search Assistance Available
As the Massachusetts economy begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic the staff of the MassHire-North Shore Career Centers continue to work remotely to provide area businesses and job seekers with candidate sourcing assistance, job search, and skills training assistance.

Our staff continue to provide remote access to all of our available services at this time.
To get services from our Career Center staff:

Please call our office at (978) 825-7200
The North Shore seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate jumped to 17.1% in April 2020, up from just 2.9% the previous month, as hotels, restaurants and retailers closed amid efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Additional coronavirus related unemployment came from reductions in health care due to stoppage of non-COVID-19 related procedures and within construction from shutting down of non-essential worksites.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that the number of unemployed increased by 30,022 or 81.6% from March to April on the North Shore.

Unemployment on the North Shore is at its highest levels ever, nearly doubling the previous highs of 9.6% in January 1992 and 9.2% in January 2010. North Shore unemployment records go back to 1990.

Nationwide, the unemployment rate stood at 14.7% and the Massachusetts unemployment rate was 15.1%.

The unemployment rate in Massachusetts was the fifteenth highest in the nation last month.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicated that Massachusetts lost 623,000 jobs in April. The labor force decreased by 9.7% from 3,772,000 in March to 3,407,300 in April. This brought the labor force participation rate - the total number of residents 16 or older who were employed or actively seeking work – down to 60.3% and is the lowest rate on record.

Unemployment Rates for North Shore Cities & Towns:
Unemployment on the North Shore is at 17.1% and is higher than the Massachusetts rate of 15.9%. There were four cities in the region with unemployment higher than the North Shore and Massachusetts average: Lynn (20.6%), Saugus (20.4%), Gloucester (19.1%), Salem (18.5%), and Peabody (18.4%).

North Shore Unemployment Claimants by Average Weekly Wage Prior to Unemployment
The North Shore average week wage was $1,094 in the 2nd Quarter 2019, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The majority, 73%, of North Shore UI Claimants earn less than the North Shore average weekly wage prior to becoming unemployed. The large percent of North Shore claimants with prior wages lower than the North Shore average weekly wage reflects the large number of layoffs within Accommodation, Food Services, and Recreation and Retail Trade industries.

For any questions on this data, please contact:
Mary Sarris, WB Director, at 978-210-1698
MassHire North Shore Workforce Board
70 Washington St, Suite 314
Salem, MA 01970
Phone : (978) 741-3805
Fax : (978) 740-5989
Email : info@masshire-nscareers.org