Prov. metro had largest jobless rate decrease in December

THE PROVIDENCE-FALL RIVER-WARWICK metropolitan area had the largest unemployment rate decrease out of 48 metropolitan areas in the country with more than 1 million in population in December at 2.9 percentage points, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
THE PROVIDENCE-FALL RIVER-WARWICK metropolitan area had the largest unemployment rate decrease out of 48 metropolitan areas in the country with more than 1 million in population in December at 2.9 percentage points, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

PROVIDENCE – The Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area had the largest unemployment rate decrease out of 48 metropolitan areas in the country with 1 million or more people in December at 2.9 percentage points, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The jobless rate was 6.2 percent in December, which was still higher than the national rate at 5.4 percent.

Data was not adjusted for seasonality.

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. had the second highest unemployment rate decrease at 2.7 percentage points, to 5.6 percent.

- Advertisement -

In December, 312 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, and the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area was among them at 1.9 percent, or 10,400 jobs. Total employment was 570,900 in December, compared with 560,500 a year earlier.

Rhode Island saw similar growth at 1.7 percent, or 7,900 jobs, for total employment of 480,900.

The largest over-the-year increases in nonfarm employment were in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+136,900) and New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+129,000). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment was in Midland, Texas (+6 percent), followed by Longview, Texas (+5.2 percent).

Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J., had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment (-8,100), and largest percentage decrease at 6 percent.

In other news, construction employment increased 6 percent in December in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area, ranking it No. 133 out of 339 metropolitan areas around the country ranked by the addition or loss of jobs, adding 1,100 jobs since December 2013.

The Providence-Fall River-Warwick area was one of 257 metropolitan areas that added employment during the year-over-year period. Forty-three areas experienced employment declines, and 39 were stagnant between December 2013 and December 2014, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

“While weather patterns certainly had an impact on construction employment during the past year, there is little doubt that the construction sector is in recovery mode in most parts of the country,” Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association, said in a statement. “The industry should continue to add jobs in 2015 as private and public sector demand continues to grow.”
The largest percentage gains occurred in Eau Claire, Wis. (38 percent, 3,300 jobs); Ogden-Clearfield, Utah (28 percent, 3,300 jobs); Monroe, Mich. (25 percent, 600 jobs) and Pascagoula, Miss. (24 percent, 1,500 jobs).
The largest percentage decline for the past year was in Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-W.Va. (-41 percent, -900 jobs); followed by Anniston-Oxford, Ala. (-13 percent, -100 jobs); Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md. (-12 percent, -3,900 jobs) and Gary, Ind. (-11 percent, -1,900 jobs).

No posts to display