Data / Civilian labor force / New Bedford, MA

Civilian labor force in New Bedford, MA

Civilian labor force in New Bedford, MA was 49,457 in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is up 1.1% from 2024. That is the 10th highest of 58 cities in 2025.

2025, persons49,457
Change on 2024+1.1%
Rank10th of 58Cities in Massachusetts ranked
Series high49,4572025
Series low41,1751999

Next release: Wednesday, 28 October 2026, 10:00 ET, announced by BLS. Release calendar

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Civilian labor force in New Bedford, MA, 1990 to 2025

40K42K44K46K48K50K19901996200220082014202020251990: 45,530 persons1991: 44,949 persons1992: 43,965 persons1993: 43,716 persons1994: 43,601 persons1995: 43,370 persons1996: 42,398 persons1997: 42,603 persons1998: 41,478 persons1999: 41,175 persons2000: 41,571 persons2001: 41,748 persons2002: 42,976 persons2003: 42,330 persons2004: 42,107 persons2005: 41,949 persons2006: 42,172 persons2007: 41,968 persons2008: 41,435 persons2009: 42,117 persons2010: 46,399 persons2011: 46,539 persons2012: 47,098 persons2013: 47,228 persons2014: 47,407 persons2015: 47,289 persons2016: 47,114 persons2017: 47,722 persons2018: 48,450 persons2019: 48,276 persons2020: 48,131 persons2021: 47,389 persons2022: 47,380 persons2023: 47,748 persons2024: 48,898 persons2025: 49,457 persons40K42.5K45K47.5K50K19902002201420251990: 45,530 persons1991: 44,949 persons1992: 43,965 persons1993: 43,716 persons1994: 43,601 persons1995: 43,370 persons1996: 42,398 persons1997: 42,603 persons1998: 41,478 persons1999: 41,175 persons2000: 41,571 persons2001: 41,748 persons2002: 42,976 persons2003: 42,330 persons2004: 42,107 persons2005: 41,949 persons2006: 42,172 persons2007: 41,968 persons2008: 41,435 persons2009: 42,117 persons2010: 46,399 persons2011: 46,539 persons2012: 47,098 persons2013: 47,228 persons2014: 47,407 persons2015: 47,289 persons2016: 47,114 persons2017: 47,722 persons2018: 48,450 persons2019: 48,276 persons2020: 48,131 persons2021: 47,389 persons2022: 47,380 persons2023: 47,748 persons2024: 48,898 persons2025: 49,457 persons
persons. Source: BLS, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2026-09-30.
All 36 values
Periodpersons
202549,457
202448,898
202347,748
202247,380
202147,389
202048,131
201948,276
201848,450
201747,722
201647,114
201547,289
201447,407
201347,228
201247,098
201146,539
201046,399
200942,117
200841,435
200741,968
200642,172
200541,949
200442,107
200342,330
200242,976
200141,748
200041,571
199941,175
199841,478
199742,603
199642,398
199543,370
199443,601
199343,716
199243,965
199144,949
199045,530

Rankings

Definition

Employed plus unemployed residents, annual average.

More on how it is measured
  • People aged 16 and over by place of residence, from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • Active-duty military personnel and people living in institutions are excluded.

United States cities only for now. Counts people where they live, not jobs: for wage and salary jobs by state use oews_employment. BLS estimates cities by splitting county estimates with Census Bureau employment and population data and unemployment insurance claims, so city figures are less precise than state ones. BLS publishes cities of 25,000 or more, and smaller cities in New England.

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

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APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average (Civilian labor force, New Bedford, MA, 1990 to 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29

MLA 9

Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average, Civilian labor force, New Bedford, MA, 1990 to 2025. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Sept. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/new-bedford-ma. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. Civilian labor force, New Bedford, MA, 1990 to 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/new-bedford-ma.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average, Civilian labor force, New Bedford, MA, 1990 to 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/new-bedford-ma (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_civilian_labor_force_new_2025,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average: Civilian labor force, New Bedford, MA, 1990 to 2025}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/new-bedford-ma. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average: Civilian labor force, New Bedford, MA, 1990 to 2025
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/new-bedford-ma
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/civilian-labor-force/new-bedford-ma.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

What is the civilian labor force in New Bedford, MA?

Civilian labor force in New Bedford, MA was 49,457 in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is up 1.1% from 2024. That is the 10th highest of 58 cities in 2025.

Where does this figure come from?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: labor force (measure 06), annual average. Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest civilian labor force in New Bedford, MA?

49,457 in 2025, the highest value since 1990 in this series.

Civilian labor force elsewhere in Massachusetts

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