R.I. jobless rate drops again, 5.9% in June

THE JOBLESS rate fell to 5.9 percent in June, according to the state Department of Labor and Training. Total nonfarm employment increased to 483,600 in June compared with 477,900 in June 2014. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING
THE JOBLESS rate fell to 5.9 percent in June, according to the state Department of Labor and Training. Total nonfarm employment increased to 483,600 in June compared with 477,900 in June 2014. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s unemployment rate continues to dip, with a June drop of a tenth of a percentage point to 5.9 percent compared with May, according to the state Department of Labor and Training.
That drop is the lowest level since November of 2007, DLT reported, and 1.8 percentage points below last June’s seasonally adjusted rate of 7.7 percent. The June rate remains higher than the nation’s 5.3 percent rate, which was 6.1 percent for the same period a year ago.
The state’s labor force totaled 558,600 in June, an increase of 2,300 from May and an increase of 3,500 compared with a year ago.
The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents totaled 33,000, a decrease of 100 from May’s figure of 33,100, and the lowest unemployment level since October of 2007. That number dropped year over year by 9,900, DLT reported.
This past June, 9,074 individuals collected unemployment insurance benefits, a decrease of 10,679 from a year ago, and accounting for 28.9 percent of the total unemployed.
The number of employed Rhode Island residents rose 2,400 to 525,600 compared with May’s figure of 523,200, and rose 13,500 compared with a year ago.
Over the year, total nonfarm employment increased by 5,700 with gains in seven economic sectors. The biggest gain, 3,100, came in professional and business services, followed by 1,800 in accommodation and food services, and 900 in manufacturing. Other gains included 700 each in health care and social assistance, transportation and utilities, and other services. Educational services gained 600 jobs.
Declines came in five sectors year over year: construction, -1,600; government, -800; retail trade, -200; and information, as well as arts, entertainment and recreation, which both dropped by 100 each. Three sectors remained unchanged: financial activities, wholesale trade and mining and logging.
Compared with May, June’s estimated nonfarm payroll totaled 483,600, a loss of 300 jobs – the first loss since February and the second month of job declines for 2015 so far. Through June of 2015, employment increased 4,300 overall, the DLT said.
Since the start of 2015, construction employment decreased by 1,600 jobs.
Other job losses for June compared with May’s numbers were reported in other services -400, and transportation and utilities, -100. Financial activities, manufacturing, government, and arts, entertainment and recreation, all lost 200 jobs each.
Gains in five sectors included 1,100 for professional and business services; 600 in educational services, 500 in health care and social assistance, 300 in retail trade and 100 in information. Wholesale trade and mining and logging employment remained unchanged.

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  1. For a more detailed analysis of the employment/underemployment/ unemployment situation;

    Refer to The Bureau Of Labor Statistics; http://www.bls.gov/lau/stalt.htm …which is updated quarterly…
    …as of 04/24/2015, Rhode Island’s Employment/Underemployment/Unemployment Rate
    of measurement at Level U6 is: TWELVE PONT NINE CENT (12.9%)….

    ….and as of 7/02/2015, the National Employment/Unemployment
    Rate of measurement at Level U6 is: TEN POINT FIVE PER CENT (10.5%)…
    (further details can be found at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm which is updated monthly….)

    The next publication of the Employment/Underemployment/Unemployment situation, broken down by State level,
    covering the previous four quarters ending in June 2015, is tentatively scheduled for Friday, July 24, 2015, so stay tuned…jkp