R.I. had second-highest unemployment rate in New England in April, 16th highest in U.S.

THE R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING released seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for the 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island, showing New Shoreham had the highest rate in April at 19.8 percent while Richmond had the lowest at 2.9 percent. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING
THE R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING released seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for the 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island, showing New Shoreham had the highest rate in April at 19.8 percent while Richmond had the lowest at 2.9 percent. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING

PROVIDENCE – The Ocean State had the second-highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in New England in April at 5.3 percent, behind only Connecticut at 5.7 percent, the state Department of Labor and Training said this week.
Massachusetts’ unemployment rate was 4.2 percent; Maine, 3.4 percent; Vermont, 3.2 percent; and New Hampshire, 2.6 percent.

Rhode Island also had the 16th highest unemployment rate in the nation in April, according to the DLT. Alaska and Illinois were tied for the highest rate at 6.6 percent, while South Dakota had the lowest rate at 2.5 percent.
Of the 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island, New Shoreham had the highest seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate in April at 19.8 percent, a drop from 21.6 percent in April 2015, followed by Woonsocket at 6.6 percent, which fell from 7.9 percent a year ago. Westerly was third highest at 6 percent, a drop from 7.5 percent, and Providence was fourth highest at 5.9 percent, a drop from 6.9 percent.
Richmond had the lowest jobless rate in April at 2.9 percent, a drop from 3.4 percent. Barrington was next lowest at 3 percent, a drop from 4 percent. Jamestown was third lowest at 3.1 percent, lower than 3.9 percent a year ago and Little Compton and Narragansett were tied for fourth lowest at 3.4 percent, with drops from 4.3 percent and 4 percent, respectively.
Rhode Island’s unemployment rate fell a full percentage point from April 2015, but was still above the national rate of 5 percent. When not adjusted for seasonality, the rate was lower, 4.9 percent, in April, but still fell a percentage point from a year ago.
Rhode Island’s unemployment rate swells to 11 percent when accounting for not only those who are in the labor force without a job and looking for work, but part-timers and those who want a job and have given up looking for work because they are discouraged or for other reasons.
That figure represents the four quarters ending in March, and is higher than the national average of 10 percent for the same four-quarter period for the same group, according to the DLT.

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