RI 1 of 5 States that Didn’t Improve Unemployment Rate in November
Monday, December 24, 2012
Rhode Island was one of only five states across the country that didn’t see its unemployment rate drop during the month of November, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state was joined by Massachusetts, Indiana, North Dakota and South Dakota, but the rest of the state’s enjoyed jobless rates near or below the national average of 7.7 percent. In Rhode Island, the unemployment rate was 10.4 percent, second highest in the nation.
The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents—those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment—was 58,600, down 100 from the October figure of 58,700. Over the year, the number of unemployed dropped by 4,100.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe number of employed Rhode Island residents was up 1,500 over the October figures, increasing to 506,200 in November. This represents the fourth consecutive monthly increase in employed Rhode Islanders and the highest employment level since March 2009. Over the year, the number of employed residents increased 6,600 from November 2011.
The state’s labor force totaled 564,800 in November, up 1,400 from October and up 2,500 from November 2011. The state’s labor force is at its highest level since February 2011, according to the Department of Labor and Training.
