BOSTON – Rhode Island had the third-highest jobless rate, at 10.9 percent, in the nation in May.
In contrast, New Hampshire reported the third-lowest jobless rate, at 4.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Vermont, at 5.4 percent, Massachusetts, at 7.6 percent, and Maine, at 7.7 percent, also recorded notably lower-than-average jobless rates.
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Rhode Island was among five states that had unemployment rates “significantly higher” than the national average, at 9.1 percent; Connecticut mirrored the national trend.
The New England unemployment rate remained at 7.9 percent in May, unchanged from a month earlier. The area’s over-the-year change was “not statistically significant,” said BLS Regional Commissioner Denis M. McSweeney.
Of the nine national geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest unemployment rate, at 10.9 percent in May, while the West North Central registered, once again, the lowest rate at 6.7 percent.
Most of the divisions remained unchanged from a month earlier; the Mountain division was the only one to experience “statistically significant” change, decreasing by 0.2 percentage points.
However, when looking at the year-over-year change, six divisions posted “significant” decreases; the largest occurred in East North Central, down 1.8 percentage points.
