Rhode Island-based Jobs Rose by 500 from June; July Unemployment Rate Remains at 4.8 Percent
Published on Thursday, August 14, 2025
CRANSTON, R.I. – Jobs at Rhode Island businesses rose by 500 in July as the state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8 percent. Over the year, jobs were up 2,200 from July 2024, and the unemployment rate was up four-tenths of a percentage point.
Rhode Island’s Labor Force
The July unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, unchanged from the June rate. Last year, the rate was 4.4 percent in July.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in July, up one-tenth of a percentage point from June. The U.S. rate was 4.2 percent in July 2024.
The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents — those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment — was 28,100, down 300 from June. The number of unemployed residents was up 2,000 over the year.
The number of employed Rhode Island residents was 559,600, up 600 over the month but down 5,900 over the year.
The Rhode Island labor force totaled 587,700 in July, up 300 over the month but down 3,900 from July 2024.
The labor force participation rate was 63.6 percent in July, unchanged from June and down from 64.5 percent in July 2024. Nationally, 62.2 percent of U.S. residents participated in the labor force.
Unemployment Insurance claims* for first-time filers averaged 1,571 in July, up from 864 in June. Claims were up an average of 12 a week from July 2024.
Rhode Island-based Jobs
The number of total nonfarm jobs in Rhode Island was 513,700 in July, an increase of 500 jobs from the June jobs figure of 513,200. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs are up 2,200 or 0.4 percent. Nationally, jobs were up 1.0 percent or 1.5 million from a year ago. The number of private sector jobs in Rhode Island was down 200 in July but up 3,100 from July 2024.
July Nonfarm Payroll Notes…
- The gain of 500 jobs was fueled by a gain of 700 jobs in the Government sector. All three branches, Local (+400), State (+200) and Federal (+100), added jobs in July.
- A gain of 300 jobs was reported in both the Accommodation & Food Services and Professional & Technical Services sectors.
- In the past three months, the local economy has lost 2,100 jobs, an average loss of 700 jobs per month.
- The number of jobs in Health Care & Social Assistance fell by 400 in July as job losses were reported in the Ambulatory Health Care Services (outpatient services) subsector.
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation continues to shed jobs, losing 300 jobs in July. The sector has lost jobs for five consecutive months.
- The June monthly job count remained unchanged at 513,200.
Manufacturing Hours and Earnings
In July, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $25.69 per hour, up twenty-three cents from June but down sixty-six cents from July 2024. Manufacturing employees worked an average of 41.0 hours per week in July, down half an hour over the month but up 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 August 2025 labor force figures and job counts at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2025.