Will County Center for Economic Development President and CEO John Greuling presented an economic update Thursday in Romeoville, and talked about the organizations plans to bring new jobs to Will County.
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It's good news when it comes to unemployment rates in the Merrimack Valley. According to data released by the State Office of Workforce Development, unemployment rates have dropped from Nov. 2010 to Nov. 2011, the latest data available.
The rates also dropped over the course of a month. While unemployment rates were between 4.7 and 15.4% in October, there was a drop across the board in November as rates hovered between 4.1 and 14.4%
| Community | Unemployment Rate Nov. 2011 | Unemployment Rate Oct. 2011 | Unemployment Rate Nov. 2010 |
| Acton | 4.1 % | 4.7 % | 5.8 % |
| Andover | 4.6 % | 5.3 % | 6.4 % |
| Chelmsford | 5.4 % | 5.8 % |
6.7 % |
| Dracut | 6.1 % | 6.7 % | 8.0 % |
| Lawrence | 14.4 % | 15.4 % | 17.0 % |
| Littleton | 4.6 % | 4.9 % | 6.4 % |
| Lowell | 8.7 % | 9.3 % | 10.5 % |
| North Andover | 5.4 % | 5.6 % | 7.2 % |
| North Reading | 5.3 % | 6.0 % | 6.9 % |
| Reading | 4.9 % | 5.5 % | 6.2 % |
| Tewksbury | 5.5 % | 5.9 % |
7.3 % |
| Wakefield | 4.7 % | 5.6 % | 7.0 % |
| Westford | 4.5 % | 4.9 % | 6.3 % |
Ed Turner
11:25 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Stats do not take into account closed claims but still unemployed. Another fact figuring jest given to the public by the political clowns.
Dave
12:30 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Those stats or rates don't take in to account the people who got their benefits cut off and still are out of work; nothing is a rosy as they would lead you to believe. This country is in an out of control tailspin and no one their to guide her out!
Margaret Jacobs
3:13 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Do these employment rates include people with seasonal jobs? If so, watch for an increase in the unemployment rate yet again in January.
Ed Turner
7:40 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sorry to say but most seasonal jobs will not get an unemployment claim opened unless they had one open and did not use it up in taking a seasonal job. In Massachusetts you must be working for 6 months to open a new claim if your work ends. So for many hired August through January, not only will they not collect but will not be included in the unemployed rates. This is because the rates are based on new and open claims.
Joe Veno
9:44 am on Sunday, January 1, 2012
Who do they think they are fooling. What a bunch of bull !!!!
Les Masterson
2:51 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012
The numbers are not seasonally adjusted: http://lmi2.detma.org/lmi/town_comparison.asp
malcolm nichols
10:13 am on Monday, January 2, 2012
From a relative standpoint it is better to compare the Nov 2010 vs Nov 2011. The numbers are generally better. I agree that there are many who might have jobs now that are paid substantially less than in years past (under-employed) and these reduced wages are not reflected in the rates.
Cool Fusion
12:09 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Nothing has changed except the media continuing to declare the end to the downslide. Banks are still insoluble, credit cards rates are exploding and banks are expected to eat the ever increasing defaults, unemployment applications are still at 410,000+ per month, profits are dropping and margins are tight, pension plans are still 20-40% underwater and gaining losses, homes are still over valued by 20%, and we're still $15.9 Trillion in debt and adding $105 Billion per month, wages are dropping, social security is broke and no SS raises in 2010,11 and 12, health care is on the brink and hospitals are going under supporting the non-paying under and illegal classes, short bonds and CD's only returning 1/2%. Europe is in an uncontrollable downward spiral and US state budget plights resemble "Ole mother Hubbard".This economy is still on critical life support and expected to be in a comatose state for another decade. The media would do the citizens a favor and print the real facts and not print feel-good tripe for the "yes we can" crowd.. It's prime time to change our tribal political habits and vote all the incumbents out of office .. better yet.. Home Depot has a special on tar and Joannes has a lay-away plan on feathers.
Les Masterson
9:24 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
"Cool Fusion," we simply ran the unemployment numbers for nearby communities. Are these numbers not "the real facts" or are you referring to something else with your criticism?
Andrew Sylvia
10:03 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
A few days ago we also did a comparison of local unemployment versus state unemployment rates in November. http://westford.patch.com/articles/westford-mirrors-statewide-unemployment-drop-in-november-2011
Dave
12:38 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Fuzzy Math