The Wrentham Times

Running the Numbers: Unemployment Data for June

While the news showed improvement from the previous month, the latest unemployment figures for the state indicated over 300,000 residents were without a job according to new unemployment data released by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. And compared to last year, the numbers told an even more disappointing story, with nearly 5,000 more unemployed in June 2010 compared to the same month last year (see table).

Statewide, the June seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.8 percent, from May's rate of 9.1 percent. Over-the-year, the unadjusted unemployment rate is up 0.1 percent from the 8.7 percent rate in June 2009.

Locally the numbers for Wrentham and Norfolk were slightly better than the state, with both towns holding an 8.5% unemployment rate. Wrentham’s unemployment rate, like the state’s average, was an improvement over the May number but worse compared to June 2009. The number of unemployed in Norfolk rose slightly from May to June, bucking the statewide trend. The story for Plainville and Bellingham continues to be painful with both towns experiencing near double digit unemployment despite modest improvements in the numbers.

Running the Numbers: KP Dropout Rate Improves

Massachusetts Department of Education released the dropout rates for high schools throughout the state and KP Regional High School’s rate improved from 2007-08 to 2008-09 by over 3%. In 2007-08 it was 4.7% and it was down to 1.4 % in 2008-09 (see chart). The state rate also improved from 3.9 % to 2.9 % and marked the first time in a decade it was below 3%.  KP High School principal Jill Proulx would not comment on the 2007-2008 rate since it was before her tenure as principal but did say the school has many resources to help students stay in school. “At King Philip Regional High School the administrators, counselors and staff have made an effort to monitor and meet the needs of students who are having difficulty,” she wrote via email.

 
    Source: Massachusetts DOE

These difficulties may be academic or social in nature as well as medical and economic, and the school has a variety of resources to address these issues. The school has a Student Assistance Team which meets once a week or as needed. It is comprised  of counselors, the special education department chair, the guidance department chair, administrators, the school psychologist and the school nurse.  The team works to create action plans to reach out to students, parents and community resources.  Also, the high school implements state mandated educational proficiency plans to provide a distinct course of action to help students who scored in the failing or needs improvement range on MCAS.

“Regardless of how other communities are fairing,” Proulx says “King Philip Regional High School is striving for a zero percent dropout rate.”

Running the Numbers: Born to Be Wild

Despite Punxsutawney Phil's shadow sighting, spring isn’t that far off.  And when spring reaches us, the snow will melt, the flowers will bloom and motorcycle riders will hit the road. In an interesting numbers exercise, Boston.com just published a Department of Revenue list of motorcycles owned, by town, throughout the Commonwealth.  Out of 351 communities, Wrentham was 159th, with almost 30 motorcycles per 1,000 residents.

Here’s a small slice of the list looking at the Massachusetts towns in the greater Wrentham area. Bellingham tops the list, followed by Plainville and then Wrentham. Franklin has the smallest number of two-wheelers in the 8 town survey. See the table for details.

 

Running the Numbers: Wrentham's Unemployment Rate Goes Higher

The unemployment rate for Wrentham grew .6 % according to data released by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.  As of December 2009, Wrentham had a 7.7 % unemployment rate which represented an increase from 416 in November to 449 in December. It also represented an increase in the unemployment rate of 2% from December 2008. The story was similar in the towns surrounding Wrentham, all seeing their rate increase slightly from November and significantly since a year ago. Wrentham was still in better shape than most towns and cities in the Commonwealth which had an average unemployment rate of 9.1 %.

See Chart: