News Briefs

August Street Sweeping Underway

The Town of Winthrop conducts Street Sweeping operations on the last full week of the month (last week with a Friday) through October between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM on the day of a street’s trash collection.  If there is a holiday on the week sweeping would normally occur, sweeping is done a week early.

Town ordinance prohibits parking in a manner that impedes the street sweeper.  Violation of the street sweeping ordinance carries a $40.00 fine, and your vehicle can be towed.

The remaining 2022 street sweeping dates are:

Aug. 22-26 (week of the 22)

Sep. 26-30 (week of the 26)

Oct. 24-28 (week of the 24)

Unemployment Rate Sees Small Drop for July

 The state’s July total unemployment rate dropped by two-tenths of a percentage point at 3.5 percent over-the-month, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday. 

 The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 13,500 jobs in July. This follows last month’s revised gain of 5,800 jobs. The largest over the month private sector job gains were in Professional and Business Services, Education and Health Services, and Other Services. Employment now stands at 3,680,100.  Since the employment trough in April 2020, Massachusetts gained 629,100 jobs. 

From July 2021 to July 2022, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 134,500 jobs. The largest over the year gains occurred in Professional, Scientific, and Business Services, Leisure and Hospitality, and Education and Health Services.  

The July unemployment rate of 3.5 percent was the same as the national rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

The labor force decreased by an estimated 7,500 from 3,773,100 in June, as 800 more residents were employed, and 8,300 fewer residents were unemployed over-the-month. 

Over-the-year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 2.2 percentage points.  

The state’s labor force participation rate – the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks – was down two-tenths of a percentage point at 65.8 percent. Compared to July 2021, the labor force participation rate was up 0.2 percentage points.