Published September 16, 2010

This just in:

Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported today that preliminary August job estimates show 3,201,900 jobs in Massachusetts, an increase of 2,100 jobs. The August job growth follows a revised 15,200 jobs gain in July, previously reported as a 13,200 job gain. This marks the seventh straight month for job gains in the Commonwealth, adding 64,300 jobs since December 2009. Massachusetts is currently third in rate of job growth in the nation year-to-date based on the July preliminary estimates for all states.

The total unemployment rate dropped from 9.0 percent in July to 8.8 percent in August and remains below the 9.6 percent national rate which was up over-the-month from 9.5 percent.

The largest job gains were in leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific and business services; and construction. Government lost 1,900 jobs, most of them temporary census jobs.

The Massachusetts economy continues to grow ahead of rest of the nation’s. But let’s not forget how many Bay Staters are still looking for work — some 304,000, which is more than the population of most New England cities — and how many of them aren’t included in that 8.8 percent figure because they have given up looking.