Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance made the following statement today in response to Massachusetts being the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country for the month of July at 16.1%.

New York was second at 15.9%. The national unemployment rate is 10.2% during that same time. 

“Massachusetts continues to lead the rest of the country in the percentage of people out of work. It’s not a statistic to be proud of. Governor Baker, Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Spilka and Republican Minority Leaders Tarr and Jones need to do everything they can to reopen the state economy and instill confidence in the private sector. Looking forward, our leaders must promise not to raise taxes, increase spending, or enact more harmful regulations if they really wish to see our economy start to recover,” stated Paul D. Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

“The legislature was not focused on the economy when they met in July. When they decide to meet again, it’s time they wake up to the reality that they are forcing businesses and residents to live everyday,” concluded Craney.