Rhode Island Unemployment

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Rhode Island Unemployment Stats and News

Rhode Island Unemployment Stats

Current and Historical Rhode Island Stats Analysis

In August 2016, the unemployment rate was reported at 5.6 percent, which increased to 6.1 percent in late September. This upward trend in unemployment stats is still an improvement over the June 2009 rate of 11.3 percent.

The most recent low point was 5.4 percent in December 2015. Typically, the rate stays slightly above the national average, which is currently about 4.9 percent. These numbers indicate an unemployed workforce of about 30,000 people.

Rhode Island Unemployment Stats Resources  

The following websites contain plenty of Rhode Island unemployment stats:

  • Labor Market Information – Identify specific work career fields that are suffering from high levels of unemployment.
  • Labor Force Statistics – Features a breakdown of specific unemployment statistics, including the various counties of the state and how they are affected.
  • Seasonable Unemployment Rates – A Rhode Island employment stats resource that breaks down the unemployment rate by season, making it easier to track which months of the year are more problematic.

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Rhode Island Unemployment News

In early September 2016, Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo paid a visit to LaunchCode, a non-profit company that is working to bridge the state's low level of IT workers. This career field has been highly neglected in the state, and this group is designed to help create a more active work base of skilled IT employees.

Raimondo was impressed, having this to say about the school: "We want students and job-seekers of all ages to be creators in the digital economy, not just consumers of technology. LaunchCode's free coding boot camp is helping nearly 40 Rhode Islanders address their skills shortages and, soon, compete for open jobs in our state's IT sector."

This step is a crucial one for fixing Rhode Island's persistent unemployment problem, as it is estimated that there will be more than 4,300 new computer and math jobs by 2024. By preparing a larger group of potential employers for these careers, Raimondo and Rhode Island hopes to increase positive Rhode Island employment stats.

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