November 20, 2008 MA unemployment climbs

(NECN) - The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development in Massachusetts reports that the state's unemployment rate increased from 5.3 percent in September to 5.5 percent in October.

Still, the Massachusetts unemployment rate was a full percentage point lower than the national rate, which his 6.5 percent in October.

Preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts lost 7,000 jobs in October following a revised estimate of a 3,100 decline in September.