PROVIDENCE – At the precipice of mass COVID-19-driven shutdowns in the state, Rhode Island had an unemployment rate of 4.6%, a 1 percentage point increase year over year.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the state was the highest in New England, with only two states in the region showing significant increases in their unemployment rates: Rhode Island and Vermont.
The national unemployment rate for March was 4.4%. North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 2.2% for the month, while Louisiana had the highest rate, 6.9%.
The report, issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, warned that many of the measurements were taken prior to a sharp spike in unemployment claims due to statewide business closures. For instance, Rhode Island’s measurement for March sampled the week of March 8-14, while the state ordinance closing dine-in restaurants took effect March 17. According to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, unemployment insurance claims in the state increased by 9,557 on March 16 alone.
Unemployment rates for other New England states for March:
- Connecticut: 3.7%, unchanged from one year prior.
- Maine: 3.2%, an increase from 3.1% one year prior.
- Vermont:3.2%, an increase from 2.3% one year prior.
- Massachusetts: 2.9%, a decline from 3% one year prior.
- New Hampshire: 2.6%, an increase from 2.6% one year prior.
Read PBN’s full breakdown of Rhode Island’s unemployment figures for March here.
