New England’s unemployment rate in August was flat at 5.9 percent in August, but down from 7.2 percent a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
The six-state jobless rate is below the country’s August average of 6.1 percent. That fell to 5.9 percent in September. Region and state data lag the national numbers.
With the exception of Dec. 2013 and Jan. 2014, New England’s unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate since the 2008 recession. The last time the regional rate was higher than the national rate was Sept. and Oct. 2006.
Connecticut and Rhode Island were the two New England states with unemployment higher than the national average in August, at 6.6 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively. Vermont’s was the lowest, at 4.1 percent.
