Rhode Island’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.1 percent, unchanged from February, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training announced Friday.
The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents edged up by 300 over the month to 29,300 in March. A year ago, the jobless level was 28,300 and the state’s unemployment rate stood at 5 percent. Nationally, the unemployment rate for March inched down 0.1 of a percentage point to 4.7 percent. Compared to last year, the national jobless rate is down 0.4 of a percentage point. Rhode Island’s unemployment rate for March was above the national average.
Jobs at Rhode Island businesses increased by 400 (+0.1 percent) last month, bringing the March job count to 493,100 (seasonally adjusted). Slight job growth was reported in several economic sectors including trade, transportation and utilities (+400); financial activities (+200); educational and health services (+200); leisure and hospitality (+200); and manufacturing (+100).
“Labor market conditions in Rhode Island showed little change in March. Our unemployment rate held steady, while the overall job count showed a modest increase with small gains spread among several industry sectors,” said state Labor Department Director Adelita S. Orefice. “With the arrival of spring and warmer weather, we’re optimistic that employers will begin adding workers to their payrolls.”
The professional and business services sector reported a drop of 400 jobs in March, due mainly to smaller-than-usual gains in administrative and waste services. A decline of 300 positions in the government sector is attributed to employment losses at the local level. Minor losses were also noted in construction (-100) and other services (-100).
