Springfield, which has about 9,000 unemployed people, and its surrounding towns gained 3,000 jobs.
SPRINGFIELD – The city’s unemployment rate fell slightly from 14.4 percent in January to 13.8 percent in February percent but remains stubbornly higher than the statewide and regional unemployment rate.
The February 2011 unemployment rate was still slightly higher than the 13.4 percent city unemployment recorded a year ago in February 2010, according to statistics released Tuesday by the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Regional data showed a clearer positive trend. Springfield and surrounding towns saw unemployment fall to 9.9 percent in February from 10.3 percent in January. The jobless rate was 10.4 percent in February 2010.
Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray said in a phone interview that he’s happy to see a downward trend in unemployment in many areas of the state. He said state government is working on development projects in and around Springfield.
“We’re not waiting for the phone to ring,” he said. “We are seeking out those partnerships.”
Employment, rather than unemployment, statistics were even more encouraging, said Rena Kottcamp, director of research for the state Division of Unemployment Assistance. Springfield and its surrounding towns gained 3,000 jobs from January to February, a 1.1 percent growth rate. Some of the growth was seasonal. But there were 1,400 new jobs in education and health care, as well as smaller gains in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, financial activities and miscellaneous services.
She said job gains often don’t translate directly into falling unemployment. For one thing, jobs are counted where they are located and unemployed people are counted where they live.
People whose unemployment benefits have run out are counted as unemployed, Kottcamp said.
Also, the labor force in the region grew as more discouraged workers told government researchers they are looking for work again, Kottcamp said.
Local figures are not available, but statewide, the underemployment rate counting people who have stopped looking, people who are only marginally in the working world and people working part-time who would like to work full-time was 14.3 percent last year. That’s nearly twice the state’s current unadjusted unemployment rate of 8.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Michael D. Goodman, chairman of the public policy program at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and a co-editor MassBenchmarks, a study of the state’s economy, said people in low-paid jobs are more likely to disconnect from the work force if they don’t see much hope. It’s more likely to happen in places like Springfield where there are economic challenges.
That’s why a growing work force is a good sign. More people see hope of getting a job.
Looking year over year, the region has gained 2,500 jobs, or about 1 percent. Kottcamp said that number includes an increase in manufacturing jobs that typically pay good wages and signal a strengthening economy.
“Year over year, that is respectable job-creation performance,” said Goodman, pointing out that jobs grew by about 1 percent statewide over the past year. “Although it isn’t much consolation to people who are unemployed.”
He said Springfield’s high unemployment points out the challenges the city faces when it comes to education and job training and making sure residents in poor neighborhoods have work readiness skills.
Hampshire County had 4.5 percent unemployment in February, down from 6.2 percent in January but higher than the 4.3 percent unemployment in February 2010.
Franklin County had 8.5 percent unemployment in February, down from 8.9 percent in January and from the 9.4 percent unemployment rate a year ago.
Statewide, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in February and 8.9 percent in January. It was 9.3 percent a year ago in February 2010.
The national average is 9.9 percent.