How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
Massachusetts gained 3,700 jobs in January 2026, ranking it 23rd among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 4,500 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

+3.7K

month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)

23rd

rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
January 2026's gain of 3,700 jobs was the 4th consecutive month of positive job growth in Massachusetts. Monthly job growth was down from the 4,300 new jobs in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), Massachusetts gained jobs in 39 out of 60 months. January 2026 had the 27th-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2021 (+40,500) while job growth was weakest in June 2025 (-13,100).

There were 3,700 more jobs in January 2026 in Massachusetts than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted

Which Massachusetts sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were accommodation and food services, private educational services, and health care and social assistance. Accommodation and food services added 1,800 jobs. Private educational services gained 1,600 jobs, while health care and social assistance added 1,500. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

The health care and social assistance sector gained 1,500 jobs during January 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Massachusetts (January 2026)

How does Massachusetts' job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has gained an average of 108 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 483, and the lowest since 2023. The 2025 average ranks as 15th-highest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 6,900 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 7,100 on average every month in 2014.

In 2025, Massachusetts gained an average of 108 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among six metro areas at least partially in Massachusetts during January 2026 ranged from a loss of 300 jobs in the Barnstable Town, MA area to a gain of 1,200 jobs in the Worcester, MA area metro area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Massachusetts

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.