Dec. Unemployment Rate Drops in Dedham

The town of Dedham saw a slight drop in its unemployment rate in the month of December, according to numbers released this week.

The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development released its local unemployment numbers and Dedham saw little change in its rate, dropping from 5.7 percent to 5.5 percent in the month. Last December's rate was 7.4 percent.

The unemployment rates for area towns follow:

•     Needham’s unemployment rate was up slightly in December, from 4.3 percent to 4.4 percent, while both numbers are below the 5.0 percent rate last year.
•     Westwood saw a decline in its unemployment rate, from 3.9 percent in November to 3.8 percent last month. The rate last December was 5.4 percent.