Berkshire Employment Rate 6.2% November

The Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development released the November 2020 employment figures as outlined below:

• The Berkshire County rate is 6.6% with 60,185 in the labor force, 56,237 employed, and 3,948 unemployed.  Massachusetts is 6.2% with a labor participation rate of 63.1% National rate is 6.7% with labor participation rate of 61.5%
• Click here for a rates for the 32 Berkshire Communities UI Berk Nov 20
• These figures do not include Pandemic Unemployment figures
• Pittsfield’s Metro Labor market area rate is 6.9%; North Adams Micro rate is 7.3%; and Gt. Barrington’s LMA is 4.6%
• Pittsfield’s Metro area recorded a 3% job gain (12 out of 15 regions had gains)
• City of Pittsfield rate is 7.9% (down from 8.3% in Oct) with 19,798 in labor force; 18,232 employed and 1,566 unemployed
• City of North Adams rate is 7.1% (down from 8.1% in Oct) with 5,731 in labor force; 5,323 employed and 408 unemployed
• Job Quest has 1,900 job postings in the Berkshires for a wide variety of employment sectors
• MassHire Berkshire Career Center remains open virtually for services and has assisted 1,641 people in FY21.
• Berkshire Workforce Board has assisted 168 companies since July; and 604 since March
• Rapid Response is working with 11 companies
• Berkshire Workforce Board has healthcare and manufacturing grants to upskill/retool job seekers to help find employment. Our concern remains that many unemployed residents are afraid to return to work and/or have childcare and elder care concerns preventing them from returning.  Hopefully the vaccine will help with these concerns.
• Berkshire County’s 13-month stats are listed below.

https://lmi.dua.eol.mass.gov/LMI/NewsRelease/Local?_ga=2.169100519.730329598.1608734073-89620376.1594149811