The unemployment rate in the City of Fall River fell by 0.7 percentage points in May to 5.4%, down from 6.1% in April.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that the labor force in Fall River totaled 45,523 employees in May. 2,469 people were recorded as unemployed. The 5.4% unemployment rate for May compared to 5.7% in May of 2025.
Here are the jobless rates of the communities surrounding Fall River:
Somerset, 4.5% (4.7% in April)
Swansea, 3.9% (4.1% in April)
Westport, 3.9% (4.3% in April)
Freetown, 3.7% (4.0% in April)
Here are the rates in select Gateway Cities across Eastern Massachusetts in May:
New Bedford, 5.7% (6.2% in April)
Taunton, 4.9% (4.9% in April)
Brockton, 5.0% (5.0% in April)
Lowell, 4.6% (4.8% in April)
Lawrence, 5.9% (6.2% in April)
The state unemployment rate in May fell to 457%. Here is more information from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development:
From the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
BOSTON, MA June 23, 2026 — Local unemployment rates decreased in nine labor market areas in the state during the month of May 2026 compared to April 2026, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported.
Compared to May 2025, rates were down in ten of the twelve labor market areas and up in one labor market area.
Of the five MSA areas and two Metropolitan Divisions for which employment estimates are published, all seven areas gained jobs compared to the previous month. The largest percentage increases occurred in the Barnstable Town, MA(+5.3%), Pittsfield, MA(+1.9%), and Amherst Town-Northampton, MA(+0.8%) areas.
From May 2025 to May 2026, four areas gained jobs with the largest percentage increases seen in the Barnstable Town, MA(+1.5%), Springfield, MA (+0.7%), and Worcester, MA (+0.4%) areas.
The statewide seasonally adjusted preliminary jobs estimate showed a decrease of 2,900 jobs in May, and an over-the-year loss of 2,300 jobs.
In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for May 2026 was the same as the nation’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 4.1%.
Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of May 2026 was 4.5%, 0.2 percentage points below the revised April 2026 estimate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2026 was unchanged at 4.3%.
The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.
The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodologies specified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
