The January unemployment numbers for the Merrimack Valley have been released, after a slight delay in reporting from the state. Unemployment in January ticked slightly upward, which is consistent with trends seen across the state. February numbers are expected to be released soon, which will give us a better understanding of whether the recent uptick is part of a larger trend or just an outlier in an otherwise year-long decrease in unemployment.
About this data: The state reports municipal-level unemployment data as non-seasonally adjusted. This means that fluctuations in unemployment, including the winter uptick we see in January, may be due to changes in seasonal work and may not be a complete picture of the current workforce. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment numbers actually suggest a continued decrease in unemployment throughout Massachusetts since June 2020, as shown in the bold green line on the graph above.
For a larger view of the graph above, right-click on the image and select “open in image in new tab” or “open image in new window.”
| Community | March ‘20 Unemployment % | January ‘21 Unemployment % |
| Amesbury | 2.7 | 6.6 |
| Andover | 2.2 | 5.6 |
| Boxford | 1.9 | 4.6 |
| Georgetown | 2.2 | 5.6 |
| Groveland | 2.5 | 6.1 |
| Haverhill | 2.2 | 8.4 |
| Lawrence | 5.1 | 15.5 |
| Merrimac | 2.5 | 6.3 |
| Methuen | 3.2 | 8.7 |
| Newbury | 2.6 | 6.9 |
| Newburyport | 2.4 | 6.0 |
| North Andover | 2.3 | 5.7 |
| Rowley | 3.3 | 7.2 |
| Salisbury | 3.4 | 8.1 |
| West Newbury | 2.1 | 4.9 |
Data Source: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Labor Market Information
For additional community data check out our NEW DATA PORTAL.