CRANSTON – Rhode Island’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.8% in August, up one-tenth of a percentage point from July, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said on Thursday.
Part of the reason for the increase was that the number of unemployed Rhode Island residents – people available and actively seeking employment – increased by 1,000 from July and stood at 16,300 as of August.
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At the same, however, the number of employed Rhode Island residents increased by 700 over the month to 558,700. That number is an increase of 17,900 from a year ago.
The state’s unemployment rate was 5.2% in August 2021.
Rhode Island’s nonfarm payrolls totaled 498,800 in August, an increase of 2,500 jobs from the revised count in July and up 16,000 year over year. These jobs exclude farming and some government, private and nonprofit workers.
“Rhode Island has momentum and we are seeing that month after month, with more people getting back into the job market and looking for work,” Gov. Daniel J. McKee said in a news release. “Today’s news is encouraging, showing that jobs have increased by 2,500 over the month and that the state has regained nearly 92% of the jobs lost during the pandemic.”
The DLT noted that compared with February 2020 – a month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit – the number of unemployed Rhode Island residents is down 4,700 and the number of employed state residents is up 7,900. The labor force, employment and unemployment levels have now reached points surpassing pre-pandemic levels, the DLT said.
Last month, the government sector added 1,200 jobs, with all gains stemming from the local government branch and early return of public schools.
The accommodation and food services sector rose by 900, fueled by gains reported within the limited-services restaurants subsector.
Also, the construction sector grew by 400 in August, its largest monthly job gain since March.
Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls in Rhode Island by sector in June:
- Health care and social assistance: 80,100, same as June and up 2,600 year over year.
- Government: 65,300, an increase of 1,200 from July and 2,800 year over year.
- Accommodation and food services: 50,900, a decrease of 900 from July and up 4,700 year over year.
- Retail trade: 46,000, down 800 from July and same year over year.
- Manufacturing: 40,500, same as July and an increase of 1,100 year over year. Production workers in the sector earned $23.84 per hour in August, an increase of 20 cents from July and an increase of $1.15 from one year prior.
- Professional and technical services: 29,800, a decrease of 300 from July and an increase of 1,300 year over year.
