Mass. unemployment rises to 5.2 percent in June

The state said Thursday that the unemployment rate rose from 4.9 percent in May to 5.2 percent in June. Massachusetts' unemployment rate remains below the national average, which was steady at 5.5 percent in June.

The rate has increased the last two months, from 4.1 percent in April.

A survey of households in Massachusetts found a 6,300-person increase in residents with jobs last month, and an 11,800-person increase in those without jobs.

A separate survey of employers found an increase of 2,900 jobs in June. The jobs number and the unemployment rate sometimes move in opposite directions because they rely on different survey methods.