The latest report from real estate data firm Yardi Matrix shows rents in Boston continued to slide downward last month.

The average rent across all asset classes contracted 1 percent in the area on a year-over-year basis in May, compared to a 0.8 percent drop nation-wide. Rents in the “lifestyle” category dropped even further in Boston, by 2.5 percent. Some of the steepest declines across the country all occurred in cities like Boston where coronavirus-related restrictions and business closures hit early, the report found. Yardi Matrix updated its projections for rents to a 1.4 percent decline for the rest of the year, down from a 1 percent decline forecast based on April’s numbers.

The decline is particularly significant as May is traditionally prime leasing season, where competition in a typically housing-starved market like Boston is usually fierce, particularly with the number of jobs in the Boston area up nearly 1 percent, the report found.

“With the extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits set to run out at the end of July, it remains to be seen how renters will fare if the extra assistance is not extended. A decline in collections seems imminent, but as of right now, renters are prioritizing their rent payments,” the report stated.