Total nonfarm employment in the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH metropolitan area stood at 2,679,200 in August 2021, up 149,900 from one year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted the local rate of job gain, 5.9 percent, compared to the 4.4-percent national rise. (See table 1 and chart 1. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the- year analysis is used throughout.)

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH, includes 10 metropolitan divisions--separately identifiable employment centers within the larger metropolitan area. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA, which made up nearly 68 percent of the area’s total nonfarm employment, gained 106,900 jobs from August 2020 to August 2021. The Framingham, MA and Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, MA divisions added 8,700 and 2,600 jobs over the year. These areas made up 6.2 and 1.6 percent of the area’s employment, respectively.

Industry employment

Professional and business services added 29,800 jobs in the metropolitan area over the year. The 6.0-percent rise compared with a 5.6-percent employment increase recorded for this industry nationally. The Boston- Cambridge-Newton, MA division gained 22,000 jobs, or 74 percent of the local area’s employment gain in this industry. Within the division, the professional, scientific, and technical services and administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sectors added 12,200 and 9,600 jobs, respectively.

Trade, transportation, and utilities added 20,000 jobs over the year in the metropolitan area. The local area had a 5.2-percent gain compared to the 3.3-percent increase for the nation.

Education and health services, the largest supersector in the metropolitan area, gained 18,000 jobs over the year. The 3.3-percent rise in this supersector compared to a 2.5-percent gain nationally. The Boston- Cambridge-Newton, MA division gained 14,500 jobs, or nearly 81 percent of the local area’s employment gain in this industry. Within the division, the healthcare and social assistance and educational services sectors gained 9,800 and 4,700 jobs, respectively.

The mining, logging and construction supersector in the metropolitan area gained 10,200 jobs over the year. Significant job gains were also recorded in the other services, manufacturing, and information supersectors.

 

Employment in the twelve largest metropolitan areas

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in August 2021. All 12 areas gained jobs over the year. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, had the largest increase (+463,600). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, had the smallest gain (+101,700) among the largest areas. (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, had a 7.2-percent rate of job gain, followed by Phoenix-Mesa- Scottsdale, AZ, at 6.5 percent. The rates of job gains in the remaining 10 areas ranged from 5.9 percent in Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH, to 2.7 percent in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for September 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

Special technical note: This technical note describes the procedures regularly used on a monthly basis to develop estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the procedures described in this technical note have been modified. The modifications are briefly described in the box note of this news release. More information on the changes to the CES business birth- death model is available at www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm.

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2017 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several estimation procedures. Where possible these data are produced using a "weighted link relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current-month weighted employment to that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month's employment estimates. The weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets certain statistical criteria.

For some employment series, the sample of establishments is very small or highly variable. In these cases, a model-based approach is used in estimation. These models use the direct sample estimates (described above), combined with forecasts of historical (benchmarked) data to decrease volatility in estimation. Two different models (Fay-Herriot Model and Small Domain Model) are used depending on the industry level being estimated. For more detailed information about each model, refer to the BLS Handbook of Methods at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/ces-20110307.pdf.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports which are submitted by employers who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months.

Reliability of the estimates. The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, administrative data, and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability—that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the specific estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Changes in metropolitan area nonfarm payroll employment are cited in the analysis of this release only if they have been determined to be statistically significant at the 90-percent confidence level. Measures of sampling error for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Measures of sampling error for more detailed series at the area and division level are available upon request. Measures of sampling error for states at the supersector level and for the private service-providing, goods-producing, total private and total nonfarm levels are available on the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/bmrk_article.htm.

Area definitions  The substate area data published in this news release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on April 10, 2018. The 12metropolitanareasdiscussedinthisreleasearethemetropolitan areas withthelargest populationaccording totheU.S. Census Bureau.

Areas in the six New England states are defined as Metropolitan New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs), while areas in other states are county-based and identified as metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions.  However, for comparative purposes, the Boston NECTA and its divisions have been referred to as a metropolitan area and metropolitan divisions. 

The Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH Metropolitan New England City and Town Area (NECTA) includes 10 NECTA divisions--subdivisions of the larger NECTA which function as distinct social, economic, and cultural areas within the larger region. The NECTA divisions that compose the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH NECTA include: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA; Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA; Framingham, MA; Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury town, MA-NH; Lawrence-Methuen town-Salem, MA-NH; Lowell- Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH; Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, MA; Nashua, NH-MA; Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA; Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA; and select cities and towns within. (See https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/msa_def.htm#71650 for full definitions.)

Additional information

Employment data from the CES program are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202)-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800)-877-8339.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, U.S. and Boston metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area and Industry	Aug 2020	June 2021	July 2021	Aug 2021(p)	Change from Aug 2020 to Aug 2021
					Net change	Percent change
U.S.
Total nonfarm	140,728	146,578	146,544	146,856	6,128	4.4
Mining and logging	595	634	643	647	52	8.7
Construction	7,460	7,598	7,641	7,643	183	2.5
Manufacturing	12,133	12,397	12,458	12,492	359	3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	26,452	27,318	27,339	27,314	862	3.3
Information	2,622	2,730	2,763	2,771	149	5.7
Financial activities	8,730	8,842	8,890	8,899	169	1.9
Professional and business services	20,060	20,918	21,062	21,175	1,115	5.6
Educational and health services	22,782	23,347	23,313	23,341	559	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	13,445	15,397	15,872	15,798	2,353	17.5
Other services	5,425	5,729	5,788	5,791	366	6.7
Government	21,024	21,668	20,775	20,985	-39	-0.2
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm	2,529.3	2,671.9	2,682.1	2,679.2	149.9	5.9
Mining, logging, and construction	120.2	125.6	129.2	130.4	10.2	8.5
Manufacturing	177.2	181.9	183.8	184.0	6.8	3.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	382.6	405.1	402.5	402.6	20.0	5.2
Information	77.6	80.4	82.8	82.5	4.9	6.3
Financial activities	182.4	183.8	183.9	181.7	-0.7	-0.4
Professional and business services	500.5	526.0	531.7	530.3	29.8	6.0
Educational and health services	537.4	553.3	556.9	555.4	18.0	3.3
Leisure and hospitality	190.9	230.7	244.9	246.8	55.9	29.3
Other services	84.8	88.8	93.2	93.3	8.5	10.0
Government	275.7	296.3	273.2	272.2	-3.5	-1.3
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA division
Total nonfarm	1,709.6	1,810.2	1,820.3	1,816.5	106.9	6.3
Mining, logging, and construction	72.2	75.1	77.4	78.5	6.3	8.7
Manufacturing	72.9	75.7	76.2	76.7	3.8	5.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	223.2	236.5	236.0	235.8	12.6	5.6
Information	59.6	62.4	64.4	64.2	4.6	7.7
Financial activities	152.2	153.4	153.3	151.2	-1.0	-0.7
Professional and business services	385.8	404.8	409.3	407.8	22.0	5.7
Educational and health services	388.8	400.9	404.5	403.3	14.5	3.7
Leisure and hospitality	121.7	153.4	164.6	165.9	44.2	36.3
Other services	55.7	57.8	61.4	61.7	6.0	10.8
Government	177.5	190.2	173.2	171.4	-6.1	-3.4

Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area	Aug 2020	Jun 2021	Jul 2021	Aug 2021(p)	Aug 2020 to Aug 2021(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States(1)
Total nonfarm	140,728	146,578	146,544	146,856	6,128	4.4
Mining and logging	595	634	643	647	52	8.7
Construction	7,460	7,598	7,641	7,643	183	2.5
Manufacturing	12,133	12,397	12,458	12,492	359	3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	26,452	27,318	27,339	27,314	862	3.3
Information	2,622	2,730	2,763	2,771	149	5.7
Financial activities	8,730	8,842	8,890	8,899	169	1.9
Professional and business services	20,060	20,918	21,062	21,175	1,115	5.6
Education and health services	22,782	23,347	23,313	23,341	559	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	13,445	15,397	15,872	15,798	2,353	17.5
Other services	5,425	5,729	5,788	5,791	366	6.7
Government	21,024	21,668	20,775	20,985	-39	-0.2
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,668.8	2,776.2	2,790.8	2,793.1	124.3	4.7
Mining and logging	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	127.8	130.4	130.5	128.9	1.1	0.9
Manufacturing	161.8	166.3	166.2	166.3	4.5	2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	575.9	591.1	592.9	591.4	15.5	2.7
Information	90.7	101.7	104.4	103.7	13.0	14.3
Financial activities	177.4	179.7	182.9	184.3	6.9	3.9
Professional and business services	522.0	552.4	556.8	560.9	38.9	7.5
Education and health services	351.1	365.5	366.7	370.8	19.7	5.6
Leisure and hospitality	235.4	261.8	269.4	263.4	28.0	11.9
Other services	93.6	97.9	97.8	95.7	2.1	2.2
Government	331.5	327.8	321.6	326.1	-5.4	-1.6
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (NECTA)
Total nonfarm	2,529.3	2,671.9	2,682.1	2,679.2	149.9	5.9
Mining, logging, and construction	120.2	125.6	129.2	130.4	10.2	8.5
Manufacturing	177.2	181.9	183.8	184.0	6.8	3.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	382.6	405.1	402.5	402.6	20.0	5.2
Information	77.6	80.4	82.8	82.5	4.9	6.3
Financial activities	182.4	183.8	183.9	181.7	-0.7	-0.4
Professional and business services	500.5	526.0	531.7	530.3	29.8	6.0
Education and health services	537.4	553.3	556.9	555.4	18.0	3.3
Leisure and hospitality	190.9	230.7	244.9	246.8	55.9	29.3
Other services	84.8	88.8	93.2	93.3	8.5	10.0
Government	275.7	296.3	273.2	272.2	-3.5	-1.3
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,376.1	4,495.9	4,504.4	4,494.5	118.4	2.7
Mining and logging	1.7	1.8	1.8	1.8	0.1	5.9
Construction	176.2	178.5	182.0	180.0	3.8	2.2
Manufacturing	395.9	395.0	396.2	399.8	3.9	1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	911.2	928.1	928.7	925.6	14.4	1.6
Information	71.7	70.8	70.8	70.3	-1.4	-2.0
Financial activities	316.2	317.4	316.7	316.6	0.4	0.1
Professional and business services	775.8	799.5	806.5	806.6	30.8	4.0
Education and health services	682.8	696.8	697.8	695.7	12.9	1.9
Leisure and hospitality	364.4	399.6	410.4	408.3	43.9	12.0
Other services	178.2	182.4	182.6	182.4	4.2	2.4
Government	502.0	526.0	510.9	507.4	5.4	1.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,618.4	3,790.4	3,791.9	3,814.9	196.5	5.4
Mining, logging, and construction	216.3	216.7	216.6	219.5	3.2	1.5
Manufacturing	279.2	282.7	286.3	286.0	6.8	2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	791.3	825.3	823.5	830.1	38.8	4.9
Information	77.2	79.9	79.7	79.2	2.0	2.6
Financial activities	324.3	330.3	333.4	330.8	6.5	2.0
Professional and business services	624.9	663.8	670.6	684.3	59.4	9.5
Education and health services	442.6	448.3	448.7	451.6	9.0	2.0
Leisure and hospitality	319.3	377.8	381.0	372.4	53.1	16.6
Other services	110.7	121.4	121.8	122.0	11.3	10.2
Government	432.6	444.2	430.3	439.0	6.4	1.5
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	2,912.9	3,047.3	3,047.5	3,052.3	139.4	4.8
Mining and logging	62.6	68.9	68.5	69.9	7.3	11.7
Construction	207.1	204.2	202.7	204.8	-2.3	-1.1
Manufacturing	210.9	207.2	209.5	210.8	-0.1	0.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	607.0	631.8	629.3	631.3	24.3	4.0
Information	27.5	28.8	29.0	29.0	1.5	5.5
Financial activities	163.6	163.2	163.4	164.9	1.3	0.8
Professional and business services	482.1	493.7	501.5	507.0	24.9	5.2
Education and health services	392.8	400.5	405.2	409.2	16.4	4.2
Leisure and hospitality	269.1	326.6	328.5	323.6	54.5	20.3
Other services	100.6	111.3	114.9	114.5	13.9	13.8
Government	389.6	411.1	395.0	387.3	-2.3	-0.6
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	5,444.2	5,792.2	5,776.2	5,838.9	394.7	7.2
Mining and logging	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.9	0.0	0.0
Construction	248.3	250.6	247.0	249.9	1.6	0.6
Manufacturing	455.8	457.4	456.5	457.8	2.0	0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,013.0	1,054.6	1,061.4	1,059.3	46.3	4.6
Information	191.4	201.2	205.2	211.1	19.7	10.3
Financial activities	322.5	323.6	324.5	322.8	0.3	0.1
Professional and business services	879.7	916.1	924.8	932.1	52.4	6.0
Education and health services	1,022.5	1,065.0	1,056.5	1,060.5	38.0	3.7
Leisure and hospitality	485.3	632.6	657.3	660.1	174.8	36.0
Other services	153.2	174.7	179.7	178.6	25.4	16.6
Government	670.6	714.5	661.4	704.8	34.2	5.1
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,471.8	2,571.8	2,580.6	2,605.7	133.9	5.4
Mining and logging	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.0	0.0
Construction	139.4	138.9	139.0	139.3	-0.1	-0.1
Manufacturing	86.2	87.9	87.5	86.6	0.4	0.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	567.6	581.5	585.2	585.5	17.9	3.2
Information	45.7	46.6	46.7	47.1	1.4	3.1
Financial activities	186.7	190.7	192.9	192.9	6.2	3.3
Professional and business services	433.3	449.8	452.7	455.0	21.7	5.0
Education and health services	387.1	397.2	395.9	401.4	14.3	3.7
Leisure and hospitality	224.8	283.5	285.8	284.8	60.0	26.7
Other services	102.2	112.3	112.0	111.4	9.2	9.0
Government	298.0	282.6	282.1	300.9	2.9	1.0
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	8,699.5	9,189.8	9,164.3	9,163.1	463.6	5.3
Mining, logging, and construction	391.5	373.5	375.0	376.0	-15.5	-4.0
Manufacturing	324.9	335.5	334.7	337.4	12.5	3.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,502.8	1,580.5	1,560.8	1,554.4	51.6	3.4
Information	277.8	297.4	299.6	302.9	25.1	9.0
Financial activities	764.6	759.5	753.9	760.3	-4.3	-0.6
Professional and business services	1,448.7	1,517.0	1,516.0	1,515.9	67.2	4.6
Education and health services	1,836.2	1,958.7	1,939.5	1,938.6	102.4	5.6
Leisure and hospitality	584.8	712.2	747.2	751.5	166.7	28.5
Other services	340.5	356.8	360.2	361.3	20.8	6.1
Government	1,227.7	1,298.7	1,277.4	1,264.8	37.1	3.0
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,709.2	2,843.2	2,828.2	2,828.9	119.7	4.4
Mining, logging, and construction	118.0	119.7	120.7	122.0	4.0	3.4
Manufacturing	173.7	175.2	176.7	176.2	2.5	1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	493.9	517.2	516.0	514.5	20.6	4.2
Information	49.7	52.2	53.1	53.3	3.6	7.2
Financial activities	216.0	217.8	218.8	219.4	3.4	1.6
Professional and business services	442.1	463.8	464.4	464.8	22.7	5.1
Education and health services	612.0	636.1	630.2	630.0	18.0	2.9
Leisure and hospitality	193.5	230.4	237.0	235.0	41.5	21.4
Other services	102.0	107.5	107.5	107.1	5.1	5.0
Government	308.3	323.3	303.8	306.6	-1.7	-0.6
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,082.9	2,174.9	2,185.1	2,217.3	134.4	6.5
Mining and logging	2.9	2.8	2.8	2.8	-0.1	-3.4
Construction	133.8	136.0	136.8	138.0	4.2	3.1
Manufacturing	132.2	136.5	136.5	136.6	4.4	3.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	410.8	438.9	438.9	438.4	27.6	6.7
Information	36.4	36.9	37.6	36.2	-0.2	-0.5
Financial activities	203.7	205.3	207.7	206.8	3.1	1.5
Professional and business services	350.8	367.8	375.7	379.5	28.7	8.2
Education and health services	334.0	348.6	347.5	355.0	21.0	6.3
Leisure and hospitality	172.8	213.1	214.2	216.7	43.9	25.4
Other services	65.9	68.5	69.1	69.3	3.4	5.2
Government	239.6	220.5	218.3	238.0	-1.6	-0.7
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,201.9	2,297.7	2,296.4	2,309.2	107.3	4.9
Mining and logging	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Construction	123.1	124.9	123.7	123.9	0.8	0.6
Manufacturing	139.2	141.7	142.6	141.7	2.5	1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	332.6	333.2	335.3	333.6	1.0	0.3
Information	134.7	137.3	139.0	139.8	5.1	3.8
Financial activities	138.8	139.9	140.1	140.5	1.7	1.2
Professional and business services	472.9	494.4	498.8	505.4	32.5	6.9
Education and health services	342.6	356.5	355.3	354.7	12.1	3.5
Leisure and hospitality	157.1	196.9	205.4	206.8	49.7	31.6
Other services	62.6	71.9	74.9	75.9	13.3	21.2
Government	298.0	300.7	281.0	286.6	-11.4	-3.8
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,103.2	3,212.7	3,214.5	3,204.9	101.7	3.3
Mining, logging, and construction	162.0	163.5	163.6	162.9	0.9	0.6
Manufacturing	54.3	55.8	56.1	55.9	1.6	2.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	377.7	394.0	394.2	389.9	12.2	3.2
Information	73.6	73.2	73.6	73.3	-0.3	-0.4
Financial activities	155.3	152.9	153.1	154.8	-0.5	-0.3
Professional and business services	767.6	783.3	789.0	789.3	21.7	2.8
Education and health services	407.5	426.4	428.1	431.0	23.5	5.8
Leisure and hospitality	229.7	262.5	275.3	277.3	47.6	20.7
Other services	191.8	192.5	194.0	196.1	4.3	2.2
Government	683.7	708.6	687.5	674.4	-9.3	-1.4
Footnotes (1) U.S. data are preliminary for two months after they are first published. (p) Preliminary