PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island tied with Connecticut for the highest unemployment rate in New England at 4.5 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday.
New Hampshire reported the lowest unemployment in April at 2.6 percent. Maine reported the second-lowest unemployment rate in the region with 2.7 percent unemployment, followed by Vermont at 2.8 percent. Massachusetts ranked No. 4 in the region with a 3.5 percent unemployment rate for the month.
Hawaii had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation for April at 2 percent unemployment. The national unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, a decline of 0.5 percentage points year over year.
Rhode Island’s unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage points year over year in April, with its workforce growing 5,605 eligible workers to 558,858, while its number of unemployed increased 802 workers. The Ocean State’s nonfarm payrolls also rose 7,200 workers to 499,300 in April. Connecticut’s unemployment declined 0.3 percentage points year over year.
In Massachusetts, unemployment declined 0.4 percentage points to 3.5 percent in April. The state’s labor force increased 45,712 people year over year, while the number of unemployed declined 11,696. Bay State nonfarm payrolls in that time increased 47,600 to 3.6 million workers.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
