Mansfield Sees Unemployment Rate Drop in March

Mansfield had a drop in unemployment, falling from 6.4 percent in February to 5.3 percent in March, both below last March's 7 percent rate according to data released last week by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

In Massachusetts, the rate declined from 6.9 percent to 6.5 percent over the same time period.

The unemployment rates for area towns follow:

• Dover's unemployment fell a bit, from 4.3 percent in February to 3.9 percent in March. Last March's rate was 4.2 percent.
• Easton had its unemployment decline from 6.2 percent in February to 5.4 percent in March. Last year's rate was 6.8 percent.
• Foxborough's unemployment rate fell a percentage point, from 6.8 percent to 5.8 percent for the month, while last year's rate was 7 percent.
• Medfield saw a decline in its rate, going from 5.5 percent in February to 4.6 in March. The rate last March was 5.1 percent.
• Norfolk had its rate fall by more than a point, from 6.5 percent to 5.4 percent in the month. Last March's rate was 6.9 percent.
• Norton saw a good-size drop in its rate, going from 7.7 percent in February to 6.6 percent in March. The rate last March was 7.7 percent.
• Norwood's rate was down from 6.2 percent in February to 5.3 in March; both rates were below last March's 6.5 percent rate.
• Plainville saw a minor drop in its rate, falling from 9.2 percent in February to 8.9 percent in March. Last year, the rate was 10 percent.
• Sharon's unemployment rate declined, falling from 5 percent to 4.2 percent. Last year's rate was 5.3 percent.
• Stoughton's rate fell by .8 percentage points in March, from 6.8 percent to 6 percent. The rate in March 2011 was 6.9 percent.