NEW: Unemployment Numbers Dip Slightly
Friday, September 16, 2011
Rhode Island’s unemployment numbers dipped two-tenths in August down to 10.6 percent, the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in August, unchanged from the previous month and down five-tenths of a percentage point from August 2010.
The number of unemployed RI residents—those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment—decreased by 1,500 over the July figures, falling to 59,600 in August, the 17th consecutive over-the-month decline. Over the year, the number of unemployed RI residents dropped by 7,000.
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The number of employed RI residents decreased 1,600 over the July figures, totaling 501,700 in August. Over the year, the number of employed RI residents was down 8,200 from August 2010. The RI labor force totaled 561,300 in August 2011, down 3,100 from July and down 15,200 from August 2010 estimates. The over-the-month decrease in the number of unemployed residents, combined with the decrease in the number of employed residents, caused the August labor force to drop to its lowest level since June 2005.
