The unemployment rate in Massachusetts climbed once again in May, widening the gap between the state and the nation as a whole following a year of nearly flat job growth in the Bay State.
New labor data shows the statewide joblessness rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.8% last month, while the national rate remained flat at 4.2%.
The unemployment rate in Massachusetts has been rising gradually for more than two years after hitting a low of 3.3% in April 2023, and it now stands at the highest level since September 2021.
The state’s labor force and the rate of working-age Bay Staters participating in the labor force both grew last month, which can contribute to a rising unemployment rate.
Sig Sauer gets lawsuit protection in NH
Faced with mounting lawsuits over a popular pistol, New Hampshire-based gunmaker Sig Sauer has gotten protection in the form of a new state law that makes it harder to take the manufacturer to court.
The law, signed by Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte, covers all gun manufacturers and federal firearm licensees regarding the “absence or presence” of certain safety features.
Supporters in the Republican-led Legislature say it was needed to help a major employer after lawsuits representing more than 70 people were filed against Sig Sauer about the design of the P320 pistol. Many of the plaintiffs are law enforcement officers from around the U.S. who say the gun can go off without the trigger being pulled.
Sig Sauer denies the allegations and says the gun is safe.
Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company.
