PROVIDENCE – The nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Providence-Warwick-Fall River was 3.8% in March, a 0.9 percentage-point decline year over year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday.
The national unemployment rate in March was 3.9%, not seasonally adjusted, a decline from 4.1% one year prior. The Rhode Island unemployment rate in March was 3.7%.
The number of unemployed in the metro area declined 19% year over year to 26,047 people while the civilian labor force declined 4,639 people to 681,634. Meanwhile, the number of workers on nonfarm payrolls in the metro area increased 600 people to 582,800 workers.
The New Bedford metro area unemployment rate was 4.9%, a decline from 6.2% one year prior. The metro area’s civilian labor force increased 1.4% to 87,155 workers. The number of unemployed in the area declined 1,076 people to 4,243 unemployed.
In the Norwich-New London, Conn.,-Westerly metro area, unemployment was 4.1% in March, a decline of 0.5 percentage points year over year. The number of unemployed declined from 6,516 to 5,804 people in that time. The civilian labor force in the Connecticut and Rhode Island spanning metro area increased from 140,924 to 141,840 people. Workers on nonfarm payrolls in the metro area increased 500 workers year over year to 127,800 people.
The BLS said that unemployment rates declined in 267 of 389 metropolitan areas in the country year over year in March, increased in 100 metro areas and unchanged in 22 areas.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. You may reach him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
