Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training

Rhode Island-based Jobs rose by 500 from July; August Unemployment Rate decreased to 3.7 Percent

Published on Thursday, September 17, 2026

CRANSTON, R.I. – Jobs at Rhode Island businesses rose by 500 in August as the state’s unemployment rate decreased to 3.7 percent. Over the year, jobs were up 300 from August 2025, and the unemployment rate was down six-tenths of a percentage point.

Rhode Island’s Labor Force

The August unemployment rate was 3.7 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from the July rate. Last year, the rate was 4.3 percent in August.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in August, unchanged from July. The U.S. rate was 4.3 percent in August 2025.         The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents — those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment — was 21,400, down 1,000 from July. The number of unemployed residents was down 3,800 over the year.

The number of employed Rhode Island residents was 555,800, up 700 over the month but down 12,500 over the year.

The Rhode Island labor force totaled 577,100 in August, down 400 over the month and down 16,500 from August 2025.

The labor force participation rate was 62.1 percent in August, unchanged from July and down from 64.0 percent in August 2025. Nationally, 61.6 percent of U.S. residents participated in the labor force.

Unemployment Insurance claims* for first-time filers averaged 721 in August, down from 1,514 in July. Claims were down an average of 172 a week from August 2025.

Rhode Island-based Jobs

The number of total nonfarm jobs in Rhode Island was 515,100 in August, an increase of 500 jobs from the revised July jobs figure of 514,600. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs are up 300 or 0.1 percent. Nationally, jobs were up 0.4 percent or 603,000 from a year ago. The number of private sector jobs in Rhode Island was up 600 in August and up 1,500 from August 2025. 

August Nonfarm Payroll Notes… 

  • The Educational Services and Professional & Technical Services sectors both added 400 jobs in August
  • Offsetting the job gains was a loss of 300 jobs reported in both the Construction and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing sectors.
  • Over the past three months, the Rhode Island job count has averaged a gain of 400 jobs per month, or a gain of 1,200 jobs.
  • The August 2026 job count is up 300 over the year. This is the first over-the-year job count increase since August 2025. 
  • The Manufacturing sector added 200 jobs in August and has not reported a monthly job loss since October 2025.
  • The July jobs report was revised to 514,600, an increase of 700 over the published job count of 513,900. The July over-the-month job change from June is now up 1,400, as opposed to the gain of 700 jobs originally reported. 

Manufacturing Hours and Earnings

In August, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $25.78 per hour, down 40 cents from July and down 67 cents from August 2025.Manufacturing employees worked an average of 41.7 hours per week in August, down by eight-tenths of an hour over the month and unchanged from a year ago. 

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