PROVIDENCE, RI - According to data released today by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, Rhode Island's unemployment rate ticked down for a fourth consecutive month in August. Now at 4 percent, the unemployment rate is the lowest the state has seen since April 2000.
The number of employed Rhode Islanders has increased by 1,000 since July and by 8,900 over the last 12 months. In that same time period the state added 6,400 new jobs. Meanwhile the labor force has grown by 6,900 in the past year and is now at its highest level since 2011.
"When I took office the state's unemployment rate was one of the worst in the nation at well over 6 percent. People were struggling. The consistent improvement we've seen is proof that our approach is working, and we need to keep going," said Governor Gina Raimondo. "It's more important than ever that we protect our investments in job training and our innovative economic development programs to ensure we don't lose any of the traction we've gained."
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