R.I. unemployment rate rises in July as labor force continues drop

THE RHODE ISLAND UNEMPLOYMENT RATE increased from June to July but was still lower than the July 2012 rate. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING
THE RHODE ISLAND UNEMPLOYMENT RATE increased from June to July but was still lower than the July 2012 rate. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING

CRANSTON – The state unemployment rate edged up in July, though it remains lower than July of last year, according to a report released Thursday by the R.I. Department of Labor and Training.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.9 percent in July, up one-tenth of a percentage point from the June rate of 8.8 percent. The rate fell 1.6 percentage points from last July’s figure of 10.5 percent.

The Rhode Island number remained higher than the national rate of 7.4 percent, which was down from 7.6 percent in June and 8.2 percent in July of last year.

The number of unemployed Rhode Islanders fell by 200 from June, to 49,200. That number, classified as the number of residents available for and actively seeking work, was 9,700 lower than in July 2012.

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The number of Rhode Islanders with a job dropped from June as well, to 506,600, a decline of 2,400. The employed number increased year over year, however, rising by 5,000.

The state labor force shrank in July to 555,900, a drop of 2,500 from June and 4,600 from July 2012.

The DLT reported 465,800 non-farm jobs in July, down 900 from the adjusted June figure of 466,700. Year over year, non-farm jobs increased by 700.

The largest decline in jobs was in the professional and business sector, which lost 1,300 jobs over the month.

Other sectors saw smaller declines, including health care and social assistance, which lost 700 jobs, and construction, which lost 400. The transportation and utilities sector declined by 300, other services by 200 and information by 100.

Employment in the mining and logging sector held steady.

Other sectors saw job growth over the month in July. The retail sector, and the arts, entertainment and recreation sector each added 400 jobs. Wholesale trade, educational services and government each added 300. Accommodation and food services employment added 200 jobs, while financial services and manufacturing each added 100.

From July 2012 to July 2013, six sectors added jobs: professional and business services, up 200; financial activities, up 1,600; arts, entertainment and recreation, up 900; manufacturing, up 500; wholesale trade, up 200; and health care and social assistance, up 100.

Both government and mining and logging remained unchanged from July 2012.

Jobs declined in the remaining seven sectors over the year, led by accommodation and food services, which lost 1,600 jobs. Construction and other services each lost 800 jobs, educational services 700, information 400, retail trade 200 and transportation and utilities 100.

In total, non-farm employment was up by 700 jobs in July from the same month last year.

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  1. For a more detailed analysis of this subject; go to http://www.bls.gov/lau/stalt.htm Scroll down to “Rhode Island ” U6 Unemployment rate; Second Quarter 2013: FIFTEEN POINT NINE PER CENT (15.9%)….