PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island unemployment rate in January declined 0.5 percentage points from December to 7.2%, higher than the United States unemployment rate of 6.3%, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said Thursday.
The state unemployment rate was 3.8% in January 2020.
The number of employed Rhode Islanders totaled 501,200 in January, an increase of 5,300 month to month but a decline of 39,600 year over year.
Unemployed Rhode Island residents totaled 39,100 for the month, a decline of 3,700 month to month and a rise of 21,200 year over year.
The state’s labor force increased 1,700 month to month to 504,300, but had declined 21,700 year over year.
Rhode Island-based jobs in January totaled 462,300, a 4,500 increase month to month and a 43,500 decline year over year.
Nonfarm payrolls in January by sector:
- Health care and social assistance: 75,300, a decline of 7,600 year over year and a decline of 200 month to month
- Professional and business services: 63,800, a decline of 5,100 year over year and 1,400 month to month
- Government: 61,600, a decline of 6,800 year over year, and an increase of 200 month to month
- Retail trade: 46,000, a decline of 1,900 year over year and an increase of 400 month to month
- Accommodation and food services: 40,200, a decline of 12,000 year over year and an increase of 1,700 month to month
- Manufacturing: 37,800, a decline of 1,900 year over year and an increase of 100 month to month. Production workers in the sector earned $20.71 per hour, a decline of 13 cents from December but an increase of $1.39 year over year. Manufacturing employees worked an average of 36.6 hours per week in January, a 1.7 hour decline month to month and a decline of 0.8 hours year over year.
- Financial services: 34,300, a decline of 1,300 year over year and level with December
- Educational services: 24,000, a decline of 2,600 year over year and an increase of 1,000 month to month
- Other services: 20,100, a decline of 2,800 year over year and an increase of 900 month to month
- Construction: 19,900, a decline of 300 year over year and an increase of 200 month to month
- Wholesale trade: 15,100, a decline of 800 year over year and level with one month prior
- Transportation and utilities: 13,400, a decline of 100 year over year and an increase of 900 month to month
- Arts, entertainment and recreation: 5,700, a decline of 2,400 year over year and an increase of 800 month to month
- Information: 4,900, a decline of 900 year over year and 100 month to month
- Mining and logging: 200, level with one year prior and December.
