State jobless rate fell in August

Massachusetts' unemployment rate dropped sharply in August, falling below the national jobless figure for the first time in more than a year and a half.

State unemployment fell from 5.1 percent in July to 4.5 percent in August, and the state gained 2,800 jobs.

The national jobless rate in August was 4.6 percent, marking the first time since December 2005 that Massachusetts has recorded a lower rate.

The state's August unemployment decline was driven by a nearly 41,000-person drop in the size of the labor force, which is the sum of employed and unemployed workers in the state.

The decrease in the number of people without jobs was greater than the decline among those with jobs, causing the unemployment rate to fall. (AP)