CRANSTON – Rhode Island’s unemployment rate last month continued its steady climb, rising 0.2 percent compared with June to 7.7 percent – the seventh consecutive month of jobless rate increases, the R.I. Department of Labor and Training said today in its July jobs report. It’s the highest level since September 1993.

The unemployment rate nationwide also climbed 0.2 percent to 5.7 percent in July.

Nonfarm payrolls statewide shrank to 480,600 – from June’s revised employment level of 482,300, the DLT said. Meanwhile, the number of Rhode Islanders on the unemployment rolls last month increased by 1,600 to 44,300, the highest level since February 1993. On a year-over-year basis, that’s an increase of 15,300.

Rhode Island’s largest job losses last month were in the government sector, which lost 700 jobs. The DLT said the losses were attributable to the retirement of a large number of state employees at the end of the fiscal year.

Losses of 200 jobs each were reported in construction, financial activities, professional and business services, and accommodation and food-service sectors. The wholesale trade, information, and health care and social-assistance sectors each lost 100 jobs.

Offsetting those losses were gains of 100 jobs in the educational-services sector, while employment remained stable in manufacturing, retail trade, transportation and utilities, arts, entertainment and recreation, natural resources and mining, and “other services.”

Compared with July 2007, the number of jobs on Rhode Island payrolls dropped by 13,000 – or 2.6 percent – the DLT said. The largest year-over-year losses were in manufacturing (-3,100), retail trade (-2,100), professional and business services (-2,000), government (-1,600), financial activities (-1,300), construction (-1,100) and “other services” (-1,000).

Two sectors experienced year-over-year gains: information and educational services sectors each reported an increase of 400 jobs since July 2007.

The state’s resident employment – the number of Rhode Islanders with jobs anywhere in the country – dropped to 528,900 workers in July. That number was 600 fewer than in June and 18,200 fewer than were recorded in July 2007.

Manufacturing production workers in Rhode Island earned an average hourly wage of $13.91 last month, up 4 cents from June and the same as the wage from a year ago. Their average workweek in July was 38.2 hours, down 0.7 hours from June but 0.4 hours shorter than a year ago.

To learn more about the services, programs and grant opportunities available through the R.I. Department of Labor and Training through its Employer Service Unit, or to meet with an employer service representative, call 1-888-616-JOBS or visit www.dlt.ri.gov.