BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' unemployment rate has fallen slightly to 3.5 percent while preliminary estimates show the state lost about 300 jobs last month.
The state Office of Labor and Workforce Development also reported Thursday that during calendar year 2017 Massachusetts added an estimated 63,000 jobs, including 2,800 manufacturing jobs.
Labor Secretary Rosalin Acosta says it would mark the first time in 18 years that Massachusetts has seen a year-over-year increase in manufacturing employment.
The 3.5 percent unemployment rate for December was down from 3.6 percent from the previous month.
The U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent for December.
Officials say the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised its estimate for November job growth in Massachusetts to show a gain of 7,800 jobs, up from its previous estimate of 6,700.