Unemployment down in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE – For the second consecutive month unemployment in Rhode Island fell, this time to 3.9 percent in September, down from 4.5 percent in August, the state Department of Employment and Training reported. The August number was a reduction from the 5.3 percent reported in July. The 3.9 percent is a full percentage point lower than the national unemployment rate for September of 4.9 percent. Still, other statistics paint a less hopeful picture of the state’s condition, with 5,000 new unemployment claims filed in the state last month, an 11 percent increase, DLT reported.