PROVIDENCE – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 3.8 percent – the same as October – according to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training Thursday.
November’s unemployment figure declined 0.7 percentage points from 4.5 percent in November 2017.
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The report reflects a break from seven consecutive months of either 0.2 or 0.1 percentage point month-to-month dips in Rhode Island’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.
Nationally, seasonally adjusted unemployment remained level from October at 3.7 percent and declined 0.4 percentage points year over year.
Also unchanged from October to November was the number of unemployed Rhode Islanders at 21,300 individuals. Year over year, the number of unemployed decreased by 3,800 individuals.
More than one-third of the state’s total unemployed, 34.3 percent or 7,136 individuals, collected unemployment insurance benefits last month, a 14-person decline year over year.
There were 200 fewer employed Rhode Islanders in November compared to October while the count has grown by 8,500 year over year.
In November, the Ocean State’s labor force totaled 561,000, a decrease of 200 month to month. The state’s labor force grew by 4,700 year over year.
Nearly 503,000 nonfarm jobs, 502,700, were counted in Rhode Island last month representing a loss of 900 jobs from a revised October count. The Rhode Island nonfarm job count increased year over year by 5,100 jobs.
Below is a sector-by-sector breakdown of job trends among Rhode Island’s top industries in November and how they compare to October 2018 and November 2017. Of the 15 sectors tracked, four saw job gains both month to month and year over year.
- Construction: 700 jobs were dropped in November while the sector remains unchanged year over year
- Arts, entertainment and recreation: 600 fewer jobs were reported both month to month and year over year in November
- Accommodation and food services: 300 fewer jobs were reported in November than in October, while 1,100 had been added year over year
- Manufacturing: 200 jobs were dropped month to month and the sector remains unchanged compared with November 2017
- Educational services: 100 jobs were dropped in November while 500 had been added year over year
- Professional and business services: 400 jobs were added in November and the sector had grown by 1,300 year over year
- Retail trade: 400 jobs were added in November and the sector had grown by 1,300 jobs year over year
- Health care and social assistance: 300 jobs were added in November and the sector has grown by 700 jobs from November 2017
- Financial activities: 200 jobs were added in November and 400 year over year
- Wholesale trade: 200 jobs were added in November while there were 200 fewer jobs than in November 2017
- Government employment: 100 jobs were added in November while the sector dropped 200 jobs from November 2017
- Transportation and utilities: the sector remained unchanged month to month yet dropped 200 jobs from November 2017
- Other services: 600 fewer jobs were reported in November than in October while 1,000 had been added year over year
Employment in both the information and mining and logging industries remained unchanged both month to month and year over year.
In November, the state’s manufacturing sector production employees earned $18.79 per hour – a decline of 7 cents from October and a decline of 75 cents from November 2017. Those individuals worked an average 40.7 hours per week in November – an increase of 66 minutes from October and 6 minutes year over year.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
