PROVIDENCE – Unemployment in the Providence-Warwick-Fall River metropolitan area declined 0.5 percentage points year over year to 3.6 percent, not seasonally adjusted, in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Thursday.
The decline in the metro area was 0.1 percentage points slower than the Rhode Island unemployment decline year over year yet unemployment in the metro area was 0.1 percentage points lower than the Rhode Island unemployment rate of 3.7 percent for the month.
There were 24,755 unemployed in the metro area in November and 696,547 people in the labor force. Nonfarm workers totaled 602,700 in November, a 3,800-worker increase year over year, or a 0.6 percent uptick.
The national unemployment rate in November was 3.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, a 0.4 percentage-point decline from 3.9 percent a year earlier.
In the New Bedford metro area, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined 0.9 percentage points year over year to 3.7 percent. There were 3,281 unemployed in the area, 87,590 people in the civilian labor force and 69,500 workers on nonfarm payrolls in November, a 1,200-worker increase year over year.
In the Norwich-New London, Conn.-Westerly metro area, unemployment declined 1 percentage point year over year to 3 percent, not seasonally adjusted, in November. There were 4,365 unemployed in the metro area, 145,007 in the civilian labor force and 132,900 workers on nonfarm payrolls for the month, an 1,800-worker increase year over year.
Unemployment rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 290 of the 388 metropolitan areas, higher in 69 areas and unchanged in 29 areas, according to the Thursday report.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. Email him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
