Massachusetts employers returned to hiring mode in March, posting the biggest monthly job gain in nearly two years.
Payrolls rose by 6,800 after falling by 7,100 jobs in February, according to federal data released Friday by the Healey administration. It was the largest one-month hiring spurt since May 2024.
The state’s unemployment rate ticked down to 4.7 percent in March from 4.8 percent in the prior month. The national jobless rate was 4.3 percent in March.
Monthly employment data are prone to swings, especially at the state level, so looking at longer time periods can offer a more useful picture of the job market. Over the past six months, Massachusetts added 12,700 jobs. That compares with a loss of more than 20,000 positions in the prior six months.
Layoffs remain relatively tame by historical standards, but job creation is weak.
Monthly payroll numbers are derived from a survey of employers by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. A separate BLS survey of households showed that the ranks of the employed fell by nearly 42,000 since September.
The decline was driven by residents dropping out of the labor force, which is shrinking largely due to retirements. However, the Trump administration’s strict immigration limits and deportations are also a likely factor in the smaller pool of available workers.
Larry Edelman can be reached at larry.edelman@globe.com.
