PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s 6.3% unemployment rate was the third-highest in New England in April, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday.
The national unemployment rate at that time was 6.1%.
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The BLS said that 48 states had jobless rates decline from one year prior and 12 states saw statistically significant declines month to month.
Rhode Island had the largest percentage-point decline of all states in its unemployment rate from March, falling 0.7 percentage points.
Read a full breakdown of Rhode Island’s employment figures for April here.
Hawaii had the highest unemployment rate in the nation in April at 8.5%, as well as the second-largest percentage-point decline from March behind Rhode Island, falling 0.6 percentage points.
The largest unemployment rate decline year over year occurred in Nevada, falling 21.5 percentage points to 8% in April.
Connecticut had the highest unemployment rate in New England, followed by Massachusetts.
New England unemployment rates in April:
- Connecticut: 8.1%, a decline from 8.3% in March and 8.6% in April 2020.
- Massachusetts: 6.5%, a decline from 6.7% in March and 16.4% in April 2020.
- Rhode Island: 6.3%, a decline from 7% in March and 17.4% in April 2020.
- Maine: 4.8%, level with March and a decline from 9.1% in April 2020.
- Vermont: 2.9%, level with March and a decline from 14.8% in April 2020.
- New Hampshire: 2.8%, a decline from 3% in March and 16% in April 2020.
Rhode Island was one of three New England states to see a year-over-year decline in its labor force in April, along with Connecticut and Vermont. The labor forces of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire all saw an increase year over year in April.
