PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in March was 3.1%, unchanged from last month, but the state lost 700 jobs, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said Thursday.
The DLT says the number of unemployed Rhode Islanders in March was 17,300, down 100 from February. The total is 100 higher compared with the same month a year ago. Also, the number of employed residents was at 548,800 as of March, unchanged from the previous month but down 4,700 from 2022, according to the DLT.
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Overall, the state’s labor force was 566,100 in March, down 100 from February and 4,500 from March 2022, the DLT said. Rhode Island’s unemployment rate in March 2022 was 3%, according to the department.
The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 3.5%, down one-tenth of a percentage point from February and March 2022. Nationally, jobs were up 2.7% from a year ago.
The DLT noted that Rhode Island recovered 101,600, or 93.8% of the 108,300 jobs lost during the COVID-19 shutdown through March.
The DLT said total nonfarm jobs in March fell for the first time since December 2022. The state’s total nonfarm jobs in March totaled 500,600, a decrease of 700 jobs from February and up 7,700 jobs from March 2022. These jobs exclude farming and some government, private and nonprofit workers.
The number of private sector jobs fell by 1,700 in March but is up 5,800 from March 2022.
Of the state’s nonfarm jobs, 10 sectors reported monthly job declines, while two sectors reported a monthly increase and six sectors remained unchanged from February.
Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls in Rhode Island by sector in March:
- Accommodation and food services: 49,100, a decline of 100 from February and 400 year over year.
- Administrative and waste services: 29,200, an increase of 600 since February and of 200 year over year.
- Arts, entertainment and recreation: 8,600, unchanged from February and up 1,000 year over year.
- Construction: 23,500, unchanged from February and up 2,500 year over year.
- Educational services: 24,800, down 200 from February and 900 year over year.
- Finance and insurance: 28,900, unchanged from February but an increase of 800 year over year.
- Government: 65,000, an increase of 1,000 from February and 1,900 year over year.
- Health care and social assistance: 79,800, unchanged from February and up 1,200 year over year.
- Information: 5,800, down 100 from February but up 300 year over year.
- Retail trade: 47,100, down 600 from February and 300 year over year.
- Manufacturing: 39,900, a decline of 200 from February and of 100 year over year. Production workers in the sector earned $24.12 per hour, up forty-four cents from February, and up fifty-nine cents from March 2022.
The DLT also noted that the February job report was revised up by 300, from a reported gain of 1,900 jobs to a gain of 2,200 jobs.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
