DLT: R.I. only New England state to report labor force increase in Nov.

RHODE ISLAND was the only New England state to report an increase in its labor force in November compared with November 2014, the state Department of Labor and Training said Wednesday. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING
RHODE ISLAND was the only New England state to report an increase in its labor force in November compared with November 2014, the state Department of Labor and Training said Wednesday. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island was the only New England state to report an increase in its labor force in November compared with November 2014, the state Department of Labor and Training said Wednesday.
The Ocean State’s labor force grew 1.1 percent to 555,635 from 549,728, the DLT said. Rhode Island’s growth in its labor force exceeded the national labor force growth of 0.6 percent, and New England’s, which fell 0.7 percent.
Maine had the greatest year-over-year decline in its labor force at 2.3 percent, followed by Vermont at 1.4 percent; Massachusetts, 0.7 percent; New Hampshire, 0.4 percent; and Connecticut, 0.2 percent.
All the New England states experienced drops in their unemployment rates in November compared with the same prior-year period, with Rhode Island reporting the greatest decrease at 1.7 percentage points, to 5.2 percent.
Rhode Island’s rate remained higher than the New England jobless rate, which fell nine-tenths of a percentage point in November to 4.6 percent, and the national unemployment rate, which dipped eight-tenths of a percentage point to 5 percent, the DLT said.

In addition, the DLT said Rhode Island has recovered 77.4 percent of the 39,800 jobs it lost during its recession, from December 2006 to August 2009. Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont have recovered all of their employment lost during their respective recessions, the DLT said.

Over the year, jobs in the U.S. rose 1.9 percent, while the New England region saw jobs grow by 1.8 percent.

Massachusetts employment led the New England states, rising 2.2 percent, to 3.5 million, from November 2014, followed by Rhode Island (+1.7 percent, to 486,700), Connecticut (+1.6 percent, to 1.7 million), Maine (+1.3 percent, to 612,500), Vermont (+1.3 percent, to 316,500) and New Hampshire (+0.6 percent, to 655,600).

- Advertisement -

No posts to display