Mass. Jobless Rate Holds Steady

The Massachusetts unemployment rate held steady at 6.7 percent in January while the state added more than 16,000 new jobs during the month.

 That's according to the latest monthly report from the state office of Labor and Workforce Development, which also on Thursday released revised federal numbers that show the state gained more jobs in 2011 and 2012 than previously estimated.

 The Massachusetts jobless rate remains more than one percentage point below the national rate which stood at 7.9 percent in January, up slightly from 7.8 percent the previous month.

 The revised estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the state gained a total of 92,800 jobs in the last two calendar years, a gain of 32,100 from the earlier estimates.

(Associated Press)