Unemployment Rate Down in Attleboro and Seekonk

Attleboro and Seekonk saw drops in the unemployment rate from August to September, according to the latest numbers from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. However, the number of people working in both communities also went down.

The September unemployment rate in Attleboro was 8.9 percent, down from 9.4 percent in August and 9.6 percent in September of last year. The September unemployment rate in Seekonk was 7.8 percent, down from 8.4 percent in August and 9.3 percent in September of last year.

Those statistics don't show the whole story because fewer people are working in both communities. The unemployment rate only represents those who are looking for work.

The number of employed Attleboro residents went down from 22,485 in August to 22,409 in September. In September of last year, there were 22,376 employed Attleboro residents.

In Seekonk, 6,886 were working in September. The workforce included 6,910 people in August and 6,876 in September of last year. 

Statewide, the September unemployment rate was 6.5 percent, up from 6.3 percent in August and down from 7.2 percent in September of last year. The national unemployment rate in September was 7.8 percent, the lowest mark since President Obama took office.