A changing workforce collar color

 / Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
/ Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The last decade has seen a significant change in the makeup of Rhode Island’s workforce, with traditionally blue-collar industry sectors, including construction, manufacturing, and trade, transportation and utilities losing a combined 33,500 jobs in Rhode Island, a decline of 16.5 percent. In a state with total nonfarm employment of 570,900 in December 2014, that is a loss of nearly 6 percent of the workforce.

The three industry sectors that have seen increases – educational and health services, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services – grew just under 10 percent, adding 23,000 jobs over the decade, and combined with other sectors that lost jobs, that growth does not make up for the losses sustained in the blue-collar sectors. Combined with the fact that many of the jobs added are low-wage occupations, the state’s economic power has been diminished over that time. •

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