CRANSTON – Rhode Island’s seasonally adjusted unemployment in May remained at 3% for the second consecutive month, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said Thursday.
The DLT says the number of unemployed Rhode Islanders in May was 16,800, down 200 from both April and a year ago. Also, the number of employed residents was at 551,600 as of May, up 1,900 from the previous month but down 4,100 from 2022, according to the DLT.
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Overall, the state’s labor force was 568,400 in May, up 1,700 from April but down 4,300 from May 2022, the DLT said. Rhode Island’s unemployment rate in May 2022 was also 3%, according to the department.
The state’s total nonfarm jobs in May totaled 494,300, a decrease of 1,200 from April. These jobs exclude farming and some government, private and nonprofit workers.
Also, the DLT said that through May, the state’s economy has recovered 95,300 jobs, or 88%, of the 108,300 jobs that were lost during the pandemic’s shutdown.
Of the state’s nonfarm jobs, eight industry sectors lost jobs in May: construction, wholesale trade, administrative and waste services, arts, entertainment and recreation, accommodations and food services, government, professional, scientific and technical services and information.
Construction lost the most jobs in May at 11,000, followed by administrative and waste services, which lost 700 jobs.
Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls in Rhode Island by sector in May:
- Accommodation and food services: 48,200, a decrease of 500 from April and 1,300 year over year.
- Administrative and waste services: 26,900, a decrease of 700 since April and 2,700 year over year.
- Arts, entertainment and recreation: 8,300, a decrease of 100 since April but an increase of 600 year over year.
- Construction: 21,400, an increase of 1,100 from April but down 500 year over year.
- Educational services: 25,100, up 300 from April but down 600 year over year.
- Finance and insurance: 29,200, up 200 from both April and year over year.
- Government: 64,800, an increase of 100 from April and 1,700 year over year.
- Health care and social assistance: 79,500 an increase of 100 from April and 500 year over year.
- Information: 5,700, a decrease of 200 from April and 300 year over year.
- Retail trade: 47,500, an increase of 400 from April and 500 year over year.
- Manufacturing: 40,200, a decrease of 500 from April and 100 year over year. Production workers in the sector earned $24.51 per hour in May, same as April and up 37 cents from one year prior.
