Rhode Island unemployment ticks up

Posted on June 24, 2013

Unfortunately it looks like Rhode Island unemployment has increased slightly.

The RI Department of Labor and Training announced today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2013 rose to 8.9 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from the April 2013 rate and down 1.7 percentage points from the May 2012 rate.

payroll in Rhode Island totaled 466,900 in May, reflecting a loss of 200 jobs from the April revised employment estimate of 467,100.

Larger than usual employment losses at colleges and universities contributed to a 1,100-job drop in the Educational Services sector.

Job declines were less severe in the Other Services (-300), Professional & Business Services (-200), Health Care & Social Assistance (-100) and Manufacturing (-100) sectors. Business and labor organizations reported declines in the Other Services sector, while the accounting and tax services, and employment services industry groups reported minor losses in the Professional & Businesses Services sector.

Employment in five sectors—Construction, Financial Activities, Government, Information and Mining & Logging—was unchanged.

Offsetting some of the May declines was a reported gain of 700 jobs in the Accommodation & Food Services sector. All major components of the industry—accommodations, restaurants and drinking establishments—posted over-the-month employment gains.

The Retail Trade sector added 500 jobs since April as food and beverage stores and automotive parts stores increased their monthly payrolls.

In addition, job gains were reported in the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (+200), Transportation & Warehousing (+100) and Wholesale Trade (+100) sectors.

Over the year, total non-farm employment was up by 1,600, as job gains appeared in six economic sectors, including Professional & Business Services (+2,100), Financial Activities (+1,100), Health Care & Social Assistance  (+900), Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (+700), Manufacturing (+700) and Other Services (+200).

Employment in six sectors—Educational Services (-1,500), Construction (-1,000), Government (-600), Information (-400), Retail Trade (-400) and Wholesale Trade (-200) —was down over the year. Employment in Accommodation & Food Services, Transportation & Warehousing and Logging & Mining was unchanged over the year.