CRANSTON – The state’s unemployment rate continued its climb in January, jumping to 10.3 percent – 0.9 percentage points above December’s readjusted figures – the R.I. Department of Labor and Training (DLT) said today in its monthly job report.

The rate increase accompanied the Ocean State’s 12th consecutive monthly decline in local non-farm payroll employment. The state lost 1,600 jobs as non-farm payrolls shrank to 469,600 in January from December’s revised estimate of 471,200, the DLT said.

Meanwhile, the number of Rhode Islanders on the unemployment rolls – people available for work and searching for a job whose jobless benefits had not expired – rose to 57,800, an increase of 4,600 compared with December (READ MORE). And the state’s resident employment – the number of Rhode Islanders with jobs anywhere in the country – fell to 504,900 in January, a drop of 7,200 from the preceding month.

The DLT said the release of January’s numbers was delayed because the data on which the state job adjustments are based – from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics – was also delayed last month. (READ MORE)

The readjustment of the employment numbers did bring a bit of good news: Although in January, the DLT announced that the local unemployment rate had risen to 10 percent in December, the revised figures released today indicate that December’s unemployment rate was 9.4 percent. But with January’s unemployment report, the rate jumped back into double figures.

The Ocean State’s largest job losses in January were in construction, professional and business services, educational services, and wholesale trade, each experiencing a loss of 300 jobs.

Also, losses of 200 jobs each were posted in the manufacturing, and health care and social assistance sectors. Financial activities, arts and entertainment and recreation, and transportation and utilities lost 100 jobs each.

Retail trade gained 300 jobs. DLT said the increase might be attributed to the lack of holiday hiring, which resulted in fewer retail layoffs than in years past. Overall, the number of jobs in retail trade (47,100) was still 1,600 below October levels, before hiring for the holiday season traditionally begins.

Jobs in information, accommodation and food services, “other services,” government, and natural resources and mining remained unchanged in January from the preceding month.

Compared with January 2008’s revised employment, the number of jobs on Rhode Island payrolls dropped 19,000, or 3.9 percent, the DLT said.

Losing the most jobs compared with a year ago were retail trade (-3,600), professional and business services (-3,400), construction (-2,700) government (-1,500), financial activities (-1,200).

Two sectors experienced year-over-year gains – health care and social assistance, which saw an increase of 500 jobs; and educational services, which added 100 jobs.

Manufacturing-production workers in Rhode Island earned an average hourly wage of $13.99 in January, 7 cents less than in December and 1 cent more than a year ago. The state’s average manufacturing work week in November was 37.5 hours, down 0.3 hours from December and down 1.10 hours from a year ago, the DLT said.

Additional information about the Rhode Island labor market is available from the R.I. Department of Labor and Training at www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi. To learn more about the services, programs and grant opportunities available through the department’s Employer Service Unit – or to meet with an employer-service representative – call 1-888-616-JOBS or visit www.dlt.ri.gov/employer.htm.