Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training

Rhode Island-based Jobs Rose by 400 from February; March Unemployment Rate increases to 4.8 Percent

Published on Thursday, April 17, 2025

CRANSTON, R.I. – Jobs at Rhode Island businesses rose by 400 in March as the state’s unemployment rate increased to 4.8 percent. Over the year, jobs were up 3,700 from March 2024, and the unemployment rate was up seven-tenths of a percentage point. 

Rhode Island’s Labor Force

The March unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from the February rate. Last year, the rate was 4.1 percent in March.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in March, up one-tenth of a percentage point from February. The U.S. rate was 3.9 percent in March 2024. 

The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents — those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment — was 28,500, up 500 from February. The number of unemployed residents was up 4,100 over the year.

The number of employed Rhode Island residents was 560,400, down 2,200 over the month and down 5,000 over the year.

The Rhode Island labor force totaled 588,900 in March, down 1,700 over the month and down 900 from March 2024.

The labor force participation rate was 63.9 percent in March, down two-tenths of a percentage point from February and down from 64.5 in March 2024. Nationally, 62.5 percent of U.S. residents participated in the labor force.

Unemployment Insurance claims* for first-time filers averaged 1,421 in March, up from 1,039 in February. Claims were up an average of 204 a week from March 2024.

Rhode Island-based Jobs

The number of total nonfarm jobs in Rhode Island was 515,600 in March, an increase of 400 jobs from the revised February jobs figure of 515,200. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs are up 3,700 or 0.7 percent. Nationally, jobs were up 1.2 percent or 1.9 million from a year ago. The number of private sector jobs in Rhode Island was up 800 in March and up 3,900 from March 2024. 

March Nonfarm Payroll Notes… 

  • The total nonfarm job count of 515,600 in March is an all-time high.
  • In the past three months, the local economy has added 1,100 jobs, averaging just below 400 jobs per month.
  • In February, the monthly jobs report was revised up by 100, from a reported gain of 700 jobs to a gain of 800 jobs from January.
  • The Construction and Health Care & Social Assistance sectors each added 400 jobs in March. The Construction employment level in March totaled 23,100, the highest level since January 2007.
  • The Educational Services and Administrative & Waste Services sectors each added 300 jobs from February.
  • Government employment fell by 400 in March, stemming from a loss of 300 jobs in State Government as well as a loss of 100 jobs in Federal Government.

Manufacturing Hours and Earnings

In March, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $25.85 per hour, up eleven cents from February but down forty-five cents from March 2024. 

Manufacturing employees worked an average of 40.9 hours per week in March, up one and a half hours over the month but down one and one-tenth hours 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 April 2025 labor force figures and job counts at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

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