Rhode Island-Based Jobs Rose by 3,300 from August; September Unemployment Rate Remained at 4.6 Percent

Published on Thursday, October 17, 2024

CRANSTON, R.I. – Jobs at Rhode Island businesses rose by 3,300 in September as the state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent. Over the year, jobs were up 6,500 from September 2023, and the unemployment rate was up one and four-tenths percentage points. 

Rhode Island’s Labor Force

The September unemployment rate was 4.6 percent, unchanged from the August rate. Last year, the rate was 3.2 percent in September.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in September, down one-tenth of a percentage point from August. The U.S. rate was 3.8 percent in September 2023.

The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents — those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment — was 27,200, down 100 from August. The number of unemployed residents was up 9,000 over the year.

The number of employed Rhode Island residents was 564,100, down 300 over the month but up 7,200 over the year.

The Rhode Island labor force totaled 591,300 in September, down 500 over the month but up 16,200 from September 2023.

The labor force participation rate was 65.1 percent in September, down one-tenth of a percentage point from August, and up 1.4 percentage points from 63.7 in September 2023. Nationally, 62.7 percent of U.S. residents participated in the labor force.

Unemployment Insurance claims* for first-time filers averaged 733 in September, up from 731 in August. Claims were up an average of 53 a week from September 2023.

Rhode Island-Based Jobs

The number of total nonfarm jobs in Rhode Island was 512,900 in September, an increase of 3,300 jobs from the revised August jobs figure of 509,600. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs are up 6,500 or 1.3 percent. Nationally, jobs were up 1.6 percent or 2.4 million from a year ago. The number of private sector jobs in Rhode Island was up 2,600 in September and up 4,300 from September 2023. 

September Nonfarm Payroll Notes…

  • In September, Rhode Island added 3,300 nonfarm jobs, the largest monthly job gain reported in 2024.
  • In the past two months, the Rhode Island economy has regained 4,400 of the 5,200 jobs lost between April and July.
  • The reported gain of 300 jobs in August was revised up by 800, resulting in a gain of 1,100 jobs from July to August. The Accommodation & Food Services (+300) and Administrative & Waste Services (+200) sectors reported the largest upward revisions.
  • The largest monthly job gains in September were noted in the Accommodation & Food Services (+1,100), Government (+700) and Retail Trade (+500) sectors.
  • The largest job losses in September were noted in the Educational Services (-400), Manufacturing (-200) and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing (-200) sectors.

Manufacturing Hours and Earnings

In September, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $25.72 per hour, down twenty-nine cents from August, but up twenty-nine cents from September 2023.Manufacturing employees worked an average of 40.1 hours per week in September, down four-tenths of an hour over the month, and up one and nine-tenths hours from a year ago.


* The average number of verified initial claims filed during the week that includes the 12th of the month and the three weeks prior. The Department of Labor and Training is scheduled to release the October 2024 labor force figures and job counts at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

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