PROVIDENCE – Since the start of the year, more than 2,000 new businesses have registered with the R.I. Department of State.
R.I. Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea has released 2015 first-quarter data, showing that the number of new businesses increased by 4.4 percent when compared with the same period in 2014 and also rose 30 percent when compared with fourth quarter of 2014.
From Jan. 1 to March 31, 2,077 new business entities registered with the Department of State. During the 2014 first quarter, 1,989 new businesses registered, while 1,591 new businesses registered in the fourth quarter.
“The number of new businesses registered in Rhode Island reflects growth in our economy and the promise of increased economic activity and job creation,” Gorbea said in a statement.
The R.I. Department of State tracks quarterly business filings as most newly-formed business entities choose a corporate structure that requires department registration. More than 70,000 limited liability companies and for-profit and nonprofit corporations are currently registered.