BLS: Fall River had highest jobless rate in region in December at 8%

PROVIDENCE – At 8 percent, Fall River had the highest jobless rate in December when compared with Cranston, Providence and Warwick, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Warwick had the lowest at 4.1 percent, followed by Cranston at 4.8 percent. Providence had the second-highest unemployment rate among the four cities at 5.8 percent. The national jobless rate was 4.8 percent in December.
All four communities saw their unemployment rates drop year over year in December, with Providence registering the greatest drop at 1.6 percentage points, the federal agency said.
The average hourly wage was $23.37 in the Providence metro area, which includes all of Rhode Island and Bristol County, Mass., higher than the national average of $22.71. Among occupations listed, accountants and auditors made the most, at an average of $37.07 an hour, above the national average of $35.42, and cooks in fast food restaurants made the least, at an average of $9.62 an hour, again above the national average of $9.15. Registered nurses also top the national average in pay by nearly $3, at $36.37 an hour compared with $33.55 nationally.
The Providence area also saw a 2.1 percent increase in nonfarm employment over the year in December, to 585,000, an additional 11,900 jobs. Professional and business services experienced the largest gain at 7.2 percent, or 4,800 jobs, to 71,700, followed by leisure and hospitality with a 5.7 percent increase, or 3,500 jobs, to 65,400. The information and government sectors had the only year-over-year declines, at 3.9 percent and 1 percent, to 9,800 jobs and 71,400 jobs, respectively.
Total compensation in New England also exceeded the national average in December as employer costs totaled $37.64 per hour compared with $31.53 nationally. Of that amount, wages and salaries comprise $26.54 an hour in New England, and $21.98 an hour nationally.

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