RI Unemployment Rate Falls Slightly to 5.2 Percent

PROVIDENCE, RI—Rhode Island’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November dropped to 5.2 from 5.3 percent the month before, the state Department of Labor and Training announced on Thursday.

The good news is that the unemployment rate continues its steady slide closer to the national average of 5 percent. The bad news is that more people have dropped out of the workforce, wages remain low and the state isn’t creating high-wage jobs at a fast enough pace to compete with neighboring Massachusetts.

The number of unemployed RI residents—those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment—was 28,700, down 700 from the October figure of 29,400. This represents the lowest unemployment level since June 2007. Over the year, the number of unemployed dropped by 9,200.

A total of 8,093 individuals collected Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits in November 2015,* down from 10,127 a year ago. This month, UI claimants accounted for 29.7 percent of the total unemployed.
The number of employed Rhode Islanders fell by 800 to 526,900. The total number of people in the labor force fell by 1,500 last month, though it’s up 5,900 over the last 12 months.

Last year, the unemployment rate at this time was 6.9 percent.

In a statement, Governor Gina Raimondo said that the numbers are “encouraging” but “we still have a long way to go to create high-wage, high-skill, family-supporting jobs.

As we look ahead to 2016, we remain committed to growing our existing companies and attracting new businesses, and helping everyone make it in Rhode Island,” she said.

The DLT breaks down the job categories as follows:

Estimated nonfarm payroll in Rhode Island totaled 486,700 in November, reflecting a gain of 2,200 jobs from the revised October estimate of 484,500. Over the past three months, Rhode Island averaged a gain of 900 jobs and has added 8,000 jobs over the year. Since the start of the year, jobs are up 7,400. Through November 2015, job growth has averaged 700 per month, compared with an average monthly gain of 500 jobs during the same period in 2014. November’s nonfarm job count marks the highest job count since February 2008.

The number of jobs in the Other Services sector rose by 600 in November, the first job increase within this sector since May. Over the year, Other Services employment is up 1,200.

The Wholesale Trade sector added 400 jobs in November recouping more than half of the 700 jobs lost in October. Jobs in this sector are down 600 jobs from a year ago. The Accommodation & Food Services sector also added 400 jobs in November, marking three consecutive months of job gains totaling 1,900. Over the past year, Accommodation & Food Services employment has grown by 2,300.

In anticipation of holiday deliveries, Transportation & Utilities employment grew by 300 in November and has risen by 300 over the year.

For the first time in 2015, the Health Care & Social Assistance sector added jobs in two consecutive months, adding 200 jobs in October and 200 jobs in November. Despite these gains, employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector is down 300 over the year.

Professional & Business Services and Retail Trade also added 200 jobs each in November. The Professional & Business Services added 3,600 jobs since the start of the year, and is up 3,500 jobs since November 2014. Employment in Retail Trade is down 100 from a year ago.

A gain of 100 jobs was reported in the Construction, Educational Services and Information sectors, while employment in Manufacturing, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation and Mining & Logging remained unchanged. Over the year, employment in Educational Services, Manufacturing, and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation was up by 1,700; 900 and 800 respectively while employment in the Construction and Information sectors reported respective losses of 1,100 and 200.

Employment in Financial Activities and Government fell by 200 each in November. Financial Activities employment is up 200 over the year, while Government employment is down 600 over the year.

MANUFACTURING: In November 2015, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $17.81 per hour, up 23 cents from October 2015 but down 41 cents from November 2014. Manufacturing production employees worked an average of 38.2 hours per week in November, down four-tenths of an hour from October and down an hour and four-tenths over the year.