CRANSTON – March's 4% state unemployment rate marks the sixth consecutive monthly increase. The seasonally adjusted rate is one-tenth of a percentage point higher than the previous month and above the national average, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said Thursday.
By comparison, the state’s unemployment rate in March 2023 was 2.7%. The rate was 2.6% last September before the string of monthly increases began the following month.
Last month’s state unemployment rate was two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the 3.8% U.S. unemployment figure, DLT says.
The DLT says the number of unemployed Rhode Islanders in March was 23,600, up 900 from February and 7,900 from a year ago. Also, the number of employed residents was at 559,900 as of March, up 2,000 from the previous month and 3,700 more than March 2023, DLT says.
Overall, the state’s labor force was 583,500 in March, up 2,900 from February and 11,600 from March 2023, DLT said.
The state’s total nonfarm jobs in March totaled 513,400, an increase of 1,500 jobs from the revised February jobs figure of 511,900 and up 8,800 from March 2023, the department says. These jobs exclude farming and some government, private and nonprofit workers.
The number of jobs in the accommodation and food services sector fell by 200 in March, the DLT said. Five additional employment sectors – retail trade; transportation, warehousing and utilities; finance and insurance; management of companies and enterprises; educational services; and other services – also reported minor job losses in March, the department says.
State government added 100 jobs in March, DLT says.
Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls in Rhode Island by sector in March:
- Accommodation and food services: 51,500, a decrease of 200 since February but a gain of 600 year over year.
- Administrative and waste services: 30,800, an increase of 1,000 since February and of 1,500 year over year.
- Arts, entertainment and recreation: 8,900, an increase of 200 since February and of 1,100 year over year.
- Construction: 21,300, same February and down 300 year over year.
- Educational services: 26,800, a decrease of 100 from February and year over year.
- Finance and insurance: 28,400, a decrease of 200 from February and year over year.
- Government: 65,600, an increase of 100 from February and 600 year over year.
- Health care and social assistance: 85,300, an increase of 200 from February and of 4,400 year over year.
- Information: 5,600, same as February but down 300 year over year.
- Management of companies and enterprises: 10,600, a decrease of 100 from February and of 300 year over year.
- Manufacturing: 41,300, an increase of 400 from February and up 800 year over year. Production workers in the sector earned $26.12 per hour in March, up 7 cents from January and $2 since March 2023.
- Professional, scientific and technical services: 31,200, up 300 from February and a gain of 1,300 year over year.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
