Worcester County, MA jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meWorcester County economy
4.2%
unemployment, Sep 2026
4.5% the month before
470,233
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
861,664
people in Worcester County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$93,561
median household income
Source: Census ACS
46%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Worcester County ranks
Where Worcester County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #8Best county job markets for job seekers in New England43 / 100 · of 12
- #9Best counties for laid-off professionals in New England45 / 100 · of 12
- #10Counties with the most job openings per unemployed person in New England2 per 100 · of 12
- #12Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in New England18% · of 31
- #16Fastest-growing job markets in New England+0.9% · of 24
- #17Counties where unemployment fell the most in New England−0.3 points · of 24
Worcester County outlook: Building
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 0.9% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 3.7% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.2%, down 0.3 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+5,234 jobs), transportation & warehousing (+2,771 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−1,458 jobs), management of companies (−1,143 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Worcester County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Former Wachusett Potato Chip factory in Fitchburg to close in DecemberWorcester Telegram on MSN · Oct 28, 2026
- Fitchburg's Former Wachusett Chip Plant Closing, 62 Jobs Lost by DecemberHoodline · Oct 28, 2026
- Kempner hosts Mass AI Hub grant award celebrationHarvard Gazette · Oct 27, 2026
Learn and get funded in Worcester County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Worcester County layoffs
2
Layoff notices, last 12 months
87
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
2
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powered by FTGU, LLCTakes effect Dec 15, 2026 | Fitchburg | 62 | — | State record | |
| Metri BWI, LLCTakes effect Oct 31, 2026 | Leominster | 25 | — | State record |
Employers hiring most in Worcester County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems80 open roles
- Amazon60 open roles
- Waters59 open roles
- Consigli Construction27 open roles
- Olympus America25 open roles
- VulcanForms13 open roles
- Astellas (ADP)11 open roles
- Michael Page10 open roles
- AbbVie7 open roles
- Tenet Healthcare7 open roles
Colleges in Worcester County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester | Private non-profit 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Worcester State University | Worcester | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Anna Maria College | Paxton | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Assumption University | Worcester | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Clark University | Worcester | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Nichols College | Dudley | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School | Worcester | Public 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Worcester County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Massachusetts? How to file for unemployment in Massachusetts (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- MassHire Central Region Workforce Board
Towns: Auburn, Blackstone, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Hopedale, Leicester, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westborough, Worcester
- MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board
Towns: Amherst, Ashfield, Athol, Belchertown, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Chesterfield, Colrain, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Easthampton, Erving, Gill, Goshen, Granby, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Hawley, Heath, Huntington, Leverett, Leyden, Middlefield, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northampton, Northfield, Orange, Pelham, Petersham, Phillipston, Plainfield, Rowe, Royalston, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Sunderland, Ware, Warwick, Wendell, Westhampton, Whately, Williamsburg, Worthington
- MassHire North Central Workforce Board
Towns: Ashburnham, Ashby, Ayer, Barre, Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Princeton, Shirley, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster, Winchendon
- Metro South/West Workforce Board, Inc.
Towns: Acton, Ashland, Bedford, Bellingham, Boxborough, Brookline, Canton, Carlisle, Concord, Dedham, Dover, Foxborough, Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Sherborn, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, Walpole, Waltham, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Wrentham
MassHire North Central Career Center
Leominster · Comprehensive · 978-534-1481
Mon, Tues, Wed, & Thurs, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; Fri 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
MassHire Southbridge Career Center
Southbridge · Comprehensive · 508-765-6430
Mon - Thurs 8:45am - 4:30pm; Fri 9:45am - 4:30pm
MassHire Central - Worcester Career Center
Worcester · Comprehensive · 508-799-1600
Mon-Thurs 8:45am - 4:30pm; Fri. 9:45 am - 4:30 pm
Cities in Worcester County
Other Massachusetts counties
Laid off or looking for work in Worcester County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Massachusetts’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Massachusetts unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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