Stores and restaurants have said that the record-breaking snow buried their business last month, and now there is a little more proof the latest jobs report backs up those tales of woe.
The state added 800 jobs last month, but industries most affected by the weather took a dive, with retail, construction, and accommodation and food services losing a combined 3,500 jobs in February.
"A lot of these job losses that resulted in this weak employment growth were in these sectors that we think were hurt by the weather," said Alan Clayton-Matthews, an economist and professor at Northeastern University. "Some people couldn't go to work, especially hourly workers in retail and restaurants that didn't appear on payrolls."
Those hourly workers weren't counted by the survey not because they were laid off or fired, but because they simply didn't work and get paid when the Bureau of Labor Statistics compiled the information. Clayton-Matthews said the jobs will likely be added in the March report.
Despite the appearance of being the equivalent of a pile of dirty snow, there was good news in yesterday's jobs report.
Other sectors not at the whim of the weather performed well. Professional, scientific and business services added 2,600 jobs, and education and health services added 1,100 jobs.
"We're encouraged by the sectors that continue to be major drivers of employment," said Ronald Walker, state secretary of Labor and Workforce Development.
The unemployment rate fell below 5 percent for the first time since March 2008.
"About a year, a year-and-a-half ago, we thought the unemployment rate wasn't coming down fast enough," said Daniel Hodge, director of the UMass Donahue Institute.
The labor force participation rate —, the percentage of people of working age who either have a job or are actively looking for one — rose 0.3 percent to 65.9, a significant gain that likely signals people who gave up looking for work are becoming more confident about their chances of finding a job.
The fact that the unemployment rate fell while the labor force increased is another good sign, and shows that many who re-entered the labor force were able to find a job.
"People are confident now, they're spending money, businesses are seeing this and they have to hire," Clayton-Matthews said. "We're in a virtuous cycle."
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