RI Unemployment Holds Steady at 29-Year Low

Rhode Island's unemployment rate held steady in November at 3.8 percent, the lowest rate since 1989, the state labor department has announced. The rate almost matched the national unemployment figure for November of 3.7 percent.

The Department of Labor and Training reported that the number of unemployed Rhode Islanders -- those considered available for and actively seeking employment —was 21,300, unchanged from October but down 3,800 from November 2017.

Overall, nearly 540,000 state residents had jobs in November, nearly 503,000 of them based in Rhode Island itself.

Governor Gina Raimondo greeted the report with enthusiasm.

"Over the past four years, we've strengthened the foundations of our economy - training more workers, supporting small businesses, bringing in new companies, and fixing our aging infrastructure," she said in a statement. "This new approach has led to record job creation and the highest number of working Rhode Islanders in a decade.

"Now, our focus is on sustaining that progress," she continued. "Our strategy is working, and I'm committed to expanding our education and job training initiatives to ensure that every Rhode Islander feels included in our economic recovery."

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