CRANSTON – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Rhode Island was 10.5% in September, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said on Thursday.
The unemployment rate in the state remained well-elevated from one year prior, when the rate was 3.5%, but showed month-to-month improvement from August, when the rate was 12.9%.
The United States seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in September was 7.9%, a decline from 8.4% one month prior and an increase from 3.5% in September 2019.
The number of employed residents in Rhode Island totaled 502,000 in September, a decline from 537,000 one year prior, but an increase of 31,100 month to month.
The number of unemployed residents in the state totaled 59,000, a rise from 39,500 one year prior, but a decline of 10,500 from August.
The state labor force increased 0.8% year over year and 3.8% month to month, to 561,000.
Nonfarm employment in the state totaled 468,000, a decline of 34,800 year over year but an increase of 2,100 from August.
State nonfarm employment in September by sector:
- Health care and social assistance: 78,700 jobs, a decline of 3,700 year over year and an increase of 1,800 from August
- Government: 63,700, a decline of 1,500 year over year and a dip of 700 jobs from August
- Professional and business services: 62,900 jobs, a decline of 5,200 year over year and an increase of 1,600 month to month
- Retail trade: 45,600 jobs, a decline of 2,300 year over year and an increase of 700 from August
- Accommodation and food service: 40,900 jobs, a decline of 11,100 year over year and an increase of 600 month to month
- Manufacturing: 38,700 jobs, a decline of 1,000 year over year and level with August. Production workers in the industry earned an average of $20.32 per hour, an increase of 86 cents from one year prior, but a decline of 26 cents month to month. Manufacturing employees worked an average of 38.7 hours in September, a decline of 0.1 hours year over year, but an increase of 1.4 hours in August.
- Financial activities: 35,700 jobs, an increase of 300 year over year, remaining unchanged from August
- Educational services: 26,300 jobs, an increase of 300 from September 2019, but a decline of 2,000 from August, attributable to a decrease in the number of student workers at the state’s private colleges and universities.
- Other services: 19,100 jobs, a decline of 3,800 year over year and an increase of 600 from August
- Construction: 18,600 jobs, a decline of 1,400 year over year and an increase of 300 from August
- Wholesale trade: 16,100 jobs, a decline of 500 year over year and an increase of 400 month to month
- Transportation and utilities: 10,200 jobs, a decline of 2,300 year over year and a dip of 700 from August
- Arts, entertainment and recreation: 5,900 jobs, a decline of 2,100 year over year and a decline of 600 month to month
- Information: 5,300 jobs, a decline of 500 year over year, but an increase of 100 from August
- Mining and Logging: 300 jobs, remaining unchanged from one year prior and August
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. You may reach him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
