PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island unemployment rate increased to 12.0 percent of the labor force in July from 11.6 percent in June, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The July unemployment rate was slightly higher than a year ago when it stood at 11.7 percent.
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The Rhode Island civilian labor force grew to 579,100 workers in July from 574,800 a month before.
Massachusetts also saw unemployment grow to 9.1 percent in July from 8.8 percent in June.
Nationally, the unemployment rate in July was 9.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted, the same as a year earlier.
In 192 out of 372 U.S. metropolitan areas, unemployment was much higher but in 170 areas the rate shrunk. Ten metropolitan areas saw no change.
The largest over-the-year jobless rate increases in July were recorded in Yuba City, California and Yuma, Arizona, each with 2.6 percent growth. The Elkhart-Goshen area of Indiana saw the largest jobless rate decrease of 3.2 percent.
Seventeen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent while 6 areas registered rates below 5.0 percent.
