Published on Friday, June 20, 2025
CRANSTON, R.I. – Jobs at Rhode Island businesses rose by 1,100 in May as the state’s unemployment rate remained at 4.9 percent. Over the year, jobs were up 4,800 from May 2024, and the unemployment rate was up six-tenths of a percentage point.
Rhode Island’s Labor Force
The May unemployment rate was 4.9 percent, unchanged from the April rate. Last year, the rate was 4.3 percent in May.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in May, unchanged from April. The U.S. rate was 4.0 percent in May 2024.
The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents — those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment — was 28,700, down 100 from April. The number of unemployed residents was up 3,200 over the year.
The number of employed Rhode Island residents was 558,900, down 400 over the month and down 7,100 over the year.
The Rhode Island labor force totaled 587,600 in May, down 500 over the month and down 3,900 from May 2024.
The labor force participation rate was 63.7 percent in May, down one-tenth of a percentage point from April and down from 64.6 percent in May 2024. Nationally, 62.4 percent of U.S. residents participated in the labor force.
Unemployment Insurance claims* for first-time filers averaged 840 in May, up from 779 in April. Claims were up an average of 139 a week from May 2024.
Rhode Island-based Jobs
The number of total nonfarm jobs in Rhode Island was 516,900 in May, an increase of 1,100 jobs from the revised April jobs figure of 515,800. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs are up 4,800 or 0.9 percent. Nationally, jobs were up 1.1 percent or 1.7 million from a year ago. The number of private sector jobs in Rhode Island was up 1,600 in May and up 4,200 from May 2024.
May Nonfarm Payroll Notes…
- The total nonfarm job count of 516,900 in May is an all-time high.
- In the past three months, the local economy has added 1,700 jobs, an average gain of just under 600 jobs per month.
- In April, the monthly jobs report was revised down by 200, from a reported gain of 300 jobs to a gain of 100 jobs from March.
- The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services sector added 700 jobs in May, led by gains in engineering services and computer systems design services.
- The Educational Services sector and the Health Care & Social Assistance sector both added 500 jobs in May.
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Offsetting some of the job gains in May was a loss of 500 jobs reported in the Government sector, with both State (-400) and Federal
(-200) Government reporting job losses while Local Government increased by 100. - In addition, the Construction and Retail Trade sectors each lost 300 jobs in May.
Manufacturing Hours and Earnings
In May, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $25.48 per hour, down fifty-seven cents from April and down four cents from May 2024. Manufacturing employees worked an average of 41.7 hours per week in May, up four-tenths of an hour over the month and up one and two-tenths of an hour from a year ago.
*The average number of verified initial claims filed during the week includes the 12th of the month and the previous three weeks. The Department of Labor and Training is scheduled to release the June 2025 labor force figures and job counts at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
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