Boston Metropolitan Area Adds Roughly 45,000 Jobs in May

The Boston metropolitan area added 44,400 jobs in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the first month of positive job growth since the pandemic-induced economic shock erased more than 435,000 jobs in March and April. However, across the state, the unemployment rate still rose slightly from 16.2% to 16.3%, despite positive employment growth for the month. This is due to more people joining the labor force, keeping the unemployment rate from declining.