PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is the 10th-best state in the nation for jobs, according to WalletHub.
To determine its annual rankings, researchers at the personal finance website based in Florida compared each state across 34 key indicators of job-market strength and economic health. The data set ranged from employment growth, to the median annual income to the average commute time.
Data used to create the ranking was collected as of Oct. 1 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and a host of other sources.
According to the report, Rhode Island ranks No. 15 for job market and eighth for economic environment, for an overall score of 58.29. However, the state ranks No. 48 for starting job salary above only Hawaii and Alaska.
In 2024,
Rhode Island ranked eighth overall. The Ocean State was No. 10 in 2023 after climbing to sixth in 2022.
Massachusetts is currently the best state for jobs, according to the study. The Bay State ranks first for job market and 22 for economic environment.
The report noted Massachusetts is the best state for jobs because it has one of the highest worker-protection scores. This includes protections for pregnant or breastfeeding women, mandates for equal pay, pay secrecy or no salary history, as well as protections around flexible scheduling. Also, the number of available jobs in Massachusetts increases by around 2.4% per year, the fourth-highest in the nation, according to the report.
Connecticut is second overall, followed by Minnesota, Vermont and New Hampshire.
West Virgina is the worst state for jobs, according to WalletHub. That state ranks last for job market and No. 44 for economic environment. Louisiana is 49th, following Kentucky, Alaska and Oregon.
The full report can be found here.