DLT: R.I. highest jobless rate in June in New England

RHODE ISLAND had the highest unemployment rate among the New England states in June at 5.9 percent, according to the state Department of Labor and Training. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING
RHODE ISLAND had the highest unemployment rate among the New England states in June at 5.9 percent, according to the state Department of Labor and Training. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island again had the highest jobless rate in June among the New England states at 5.9 percent, overtaking Connecticut, which briefly held the top spot for four months, according to data from the state Department of Labor and Training.

Connecticut had the highest jobless rate February through May, a stretch that ended Rhode Island’s dominance in the top spot since late 2006.

Connecticut slipped to second place for its employment rate of 5.7 percent in June. The rest of the New England states reported the following jobless rates: Maine, 4.7 percent; Massachusetts, 4.6 percent; New Hampshire, 3.8 percent; and Vermont, 3.6 percent.

Each state experienced a year-over-year drop in their unemployment rate, and Rhode Island had the greatest drop at 1.8 percentage points, followed by Massachusetts, 1.1 percentage points; Maine, 1 percentage point; Connecticut, -0.8 percentage points; New Hampshire, -0.5 percentage points; and Vermont, -0.5 percentage points.

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The New England unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, lower than the U.S. rate of 5.3 percent. The New England rate also fell year over year by 1.1 percentage points; the national rate dipped eight-tenths of a percentage point.

Rhode Island’s labor force grew 0.6 percent year over year to 558,607. Massachusetts had the greatest growth in its labor force with a 2.2 percent increase to 3.6 million, followed by Connecticut at 1.9 percent to 1.9 million; and New Hampshire, 1.1 percent to 749,183. Vermont’s labor force was unchanged at 348,945, and Maine was the only state to experience a decline, 1 percent to 692,814.

Over the year, the labor force in New England rose 1.6 percent to 7.9 million.

As of June, the DLT said three states – Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine – had yet to recover all of the jobs lost between their respective high and low employment periods. Rhode Island has recovered 69.6 percent of the 39,800 jobs lost between December 2006 and August 2009, while Connecticut has gained 82.3 percent of the 119,000 jobs it lost. Maine is furthest from recovery at 62.2 percent; that state lost 30,700 jobs.

The DLT said Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont have recovered all of the jobs lost during their respective recessions.
In June, jobs in Rhode Island increased 1.2 percent over the year to 483,600, but Massachusetts had the highest job growth at 2.1 percent, to 3.4 million. Maine had the lowest job growth at six-tenths of a percentage point with 609,300 jobs.

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