PROVIDENCE, RI - According to data released today by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, Rhode Island added 1,200 jobs last month and set another new all-time high record for the number of jobs in the state. The state's unemployment rate, which was well over 6 percent and one of the highest in America when Governor Gina M. Raimondo took office ticked down another 0.2 percentage points to 4.1 percent, the lowest unemployment rate the state has had since 2000. Since the start of 2015, Rhode Island has added 21,000 new jobs.
"Four years ago, Rhode Island was still sluggishly recovering from the Great Recession. This jobs report is a clear signal that our new approach is working and that we need to keep going," said Governor Raimondo. "We need to protect our progress and the investments we've made in job training and economic development to ensure that Rhode Island doesn't slip backwards."
1,800 additional Rhode Islanders were employed in July compared to June and the labor force added 1,000 residents last month and 9,200 since last July.
Since taking office, Governor Raimondo has totally revamped the state's approach to economic development and job training. During her first year in office, she created the Real Jobs RI training program to ensure that every Rhode Islander has the skills they need to get a job and get ahead. Later today, Governor Raimondo will join representatives of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce and other partners from the economic development, education and business communities for a roundtable discussion on the launch of WindWinRI, a strategic, demand-driven career pathways training program aimed at increasing student exposure to careers in wind energy.
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