Rhode Island healthcare jobs lost

Posted on June 6, 2017

A number of Rhode Island healthcare jobs have been lost, according to recent labor statistics.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April 2017 was 4.3 percent, unchanged from the March rate. Over the year, the unemployment rate is down one and one-tenth percentage points from the April 2016 rate of 5.4 percent.

Payroll in Rhode Island totaled 494,600 in April, reflecting a loss of 200 jobs from the revised March estimate of 494,800. The April loss marks two consecutive months of job declines totaling 700 jobs. Despite the recent downward trend, employment is up 5,000 from a year ago. Through April of this year, Rhode Island has added 3,300 jobs, or an average of 800 jobs per month. In comparison, through April 2016, a total of 1,000 jobs were added, or an average of 300 jobs per month.

The number of jobs in the Professional & Business Services sector fell by 800 in April due to losses in the Administrative & Waste Services sector.  Although payrolls within this sector have receded over the past two months, the number of jobs is still up 600 from a year ago.

A loss of 800 jobs was also reported in the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation sector, knocking the employment level below 10,000, a milestone figure achieved in January of this year. Over the year, the number of jobs in Arts, Entertainment & Recreation remained unchanged.

Health Care & Social Assistance lost 400 jobs in April, the sector’s largest loss since January 2016 (-400). The number of jobs in Rhode Island’s largest employment sector is up 500 from April 2016.

Rounding out April’s job declines were losses reported in the Other Services (-300) and Educational Services (-100) sectors. Over the year, employment in Other Services is down 300, while employment in Educational Services is up 500.

Offsetting April’s job losses was an increase of 900 jobs reported in the Manufacturing sector. Through April’s gain, the Manufacturing sector has a year-over-year gain of 500 jobs, the first year-over-year job gain since a gain of 100 jobs was reported between November 2014 and November 2015.

The Financial Activities sector ended two consecutive months of job declines by adding 500 jobs in April, while a gain of 400 jobs was reported in Retail Trade. Smaller monthly job gains were reported in the Wholesale Trade (+200), Accommodation & Food Services (+100) and Government (+100) sectors.