DLT: R.I. second-highest job growth in N.E. in 2015

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island had the second-highest job growth in New England last year with a 1.8 percent gain, behind only Massachusetts, which reported 2.1 percent growth, according to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training.
Nonfarm employment totaled 487,700 at the end of last year in Rhode Island, compared with 479,300 in 2014, the DLT said. Rhode Island’s job growth was slightly less than the national growth rate of 1.9 percent, but higher than New England’s employment growth of 1.7 percent.
The DLT – using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – noted that three of the six New England states, including Rhode Island, have yet to recover all of the jobs lost since the recession.
The Ocean State has recovered nearly 80 percent of the 39,800 jobs lost during its recession from December 2006 to August 2009, while Connecticut has recovered 89.7 percent of its 119,000 jobs lost and Maine has regained 75.2 percent of its 30,700 jobs lost. Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont have recovered all of the jobs lost during their respective recessions, the DLT said, as has the United States.
In December, Rhode Island had the second-highest jobless rate at 5.1 percent among the New England states. Connecticut overtook the top spot with an unemployment rate of 5.2 percent. New Hampshire had the lowest rate at 3.1 percent. Massachusetts’ 4.7 percent unemployment rate was the same as New England’s overall rate. Each state saw its unemployment rate fall from December 2014, with Rhode Island recording the largest drop at 1.7 percentage points, the DLT said.
Rhode Island also was the only New England state to report an increase in its labor force year over year in December at 1.1 percent, to 554,862 from 548,785. New England saw the labor force fall 0.8 percent over the year, while the U.S. labor force increased 1.1 percent, the DLT said.

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