BLS: R.I. leads nation with August jobless rate decrease

RHODE ISLAND led the nation with the largest year-over-year unemployment rate decrease in August at 1.8 percentage points.
RHODE ISLAND led the nation with the largest year-over-year unemployment rate decrease in August at 1.8 percentage points.

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island led the nation with the largest year-over-year unemployment rate decrease in August at 1.8 percentage points.
Rhode Island was among 25 states and the District of Columbia that had statistically significant employment rate declines compared with August 2014. Rhode Island’s August rate was 5.6 percent compared with 7.4 percent a year earlier.
After Rhode Island, Michigan had the next-greatest drop at 1.7 percentage points, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The only significant year-over-year rate increase was in West Virginia at 1.2 percentage points, the BLS said. The remaining 24 states had rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier, it said.

In total, 17 states had unemployment rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 5.1 percent, 13 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 20 states had rates that were not much different from that of the nation.

Nebraska had the lowest jobless rate in August at 2.8 percent, followed by North Dakota, 2.9 percent. West Virginia had the highest rate, 7.6 percent, and Nevada and the District of Columbia were next at 6.8 percent.

Rhode Island ranked 11th highest in the country, including the District of Columbia, for its jobless rate. Rhode Island tied with Missouri and Illinois at 5.6 percent. The Ocean State’s jobless rate was the highest in New England in August.
Rhode Island’s labor force in August was 560,200, compared with 553,300 a year earlier.

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Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in three states. The largest over-the-year percentage increases occurred in Utah (+4 percent), Oregon (+3.5 percent), and Florida and Nevada (+3.3 percent each). Rhode Island, in comparison, had a 1.1 percent increase over the year. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in West Virginia (-2.6 percent), North Dakota (-0.7 percent) and Alaska (-0.4 percent).

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