Providence metro’s unemployment rate falls to 4.8% in March

PROVIDENCE – The Providence-Warwick-Fall River metropolitan area was among 336 metropolitan areas with unemployment rates lower in March than they were in March 2016, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday.

The jobless rate in the Providence metro fell to 4.8 percent in March, compared with 5.9 percent in March 2016.

Another 38 metro areas had higher unemployment rates than they were a year ago, and 14 areas had rates that were unchanged.

Among the metros, Ames, Iowa, and Boulder, Colo., had the lowest unemployment rates, at 2 percent each. El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rate, 19.2 percent.

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A total of 197 areas had March jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.6 percent, while 180 areas – including the Providence metro – had rates above it, and 11 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

The Providence metro saw its civilian labor force grow to 681,045 in March, compared with 676,719 in March 2016, and its number of unemployed fall to 32,504 from 39,714 a year ago.

In March, 310 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, including the Providence metro, which saw nonfarm employment climb 0.3 percent to 576,500 in March from 574,700 in March 2016. Another 71 metros had decreases in nonfarm payroll employment, and seven had no change.

The largest over-the-year employment increase occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, at 129,700. The largest over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Auburn-Opelika, Ala., and St. George, Utah, at 4.9 percent each.

The largest over-the-year decrease in employment, a loss of 6,500 jobs, occurred in Lafayette, La., and the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment, 6.9 percent, occurred in Casper, Wyo.

Numbers were not seasonally adjusted, according to the federal agency.

Lori Stabile is the PBN Web Editor.