Rhode Island’s unemployment rate keeps going down, but a look at employment suggests that the picture remains gloomy.
The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has added state payroll to its RIOpenGov.org site. The public deserves access to government information so that it can demand explanations.
RI employment numbers for February look positive at first glance, but a more substantive review suggests that even the silver lining is pretty dark.
The overtime bill for the state government of Rhode Island is up to around $90 million, with thousands of employees making tens of thousands or even more than a hundred thousand dollars in extra pay.
Rhode Island’s unemployment rate notched down again, in January, even though it was the first month of employment losses since September 2011. Meanwhile, the nation has overall been stagnant.
Rhode Island’s unemployment rate drops, although it is now tied for last, and employment growth, while happening, isn’t enough to return the state to health very quickly.
Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data for November shows that Rhode Island’s nation-leading employment growth has abated.
The Current updates its monthly review of single-family home sales statewide and town by town. In November, the state seemed to edge a little closer to the turnaround that will begin pushing prices upwards.
Employment data suggests that, despite the impressions of those who live here, Rhode Island’s job market is booming.
The Current updates its monthly review of single-family home sales statewide and town by town.
RI’s seasonally adjusted employment in September saw the largest one-month increase in the state’s recent history and led the statistical national boom, but there’s reason to question the results, and the Ocean State still has a long, long way to go.
Updated single-family house sales statistics for August show some improvement, but mostly a mixed picture from town to town.
The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has released a study of employment numbers that should set the context for the nation’s response to our governor’s convention speech, this evening.
An update and expansion of single-family-home sales data for each city and town suggests that Rhode Island’s real estate may not have hit bottom yet.
A new study of teenage unemployment, with an eye on public policy such as the minimum wage, suggests that we might be failing young adults.
Rhode Island’s regular public school districts are losing enrollment as a percentage of population under 18. The Current explores how each city and town is faring.
Westerly’s unemployment rate is better than RI’s, but the reason appears to be the willingness or ability of its residents to drop out of the labor force when they aren’t working.
South Kingstown as seen significant growth over the past two decades, but the trend has begun to reverse, over the past few years.
Richmond has the second lowest unemployment in Rhode Island, but its longer term trends are arguably the healthiest.
North Kingstown’s low-for-RI unemployment rate disguises a town that hasn’t grown much and now has an historically low number of employed residents.
New Shoreham’s March unemployment of 29.5% (not seasonally adjusted) is high by any measure, but it may be more concerning that both summer peaks and winter troughs have been lower than any time since 1994.
At 8.5% (not seasonally adjusted) Narragansett’s unemployment rate is low, for RI, but the reason is that its labor force adjusts more than usual to gained and lost employment.
Hopkinton grew, in population and economically, over the last decade, but since 2010, employment has stagnated as the labor force recedes.
Throughout the ’90s and most of the last decade, Exeter was on a path of growth, but 2007 brought an end to employment increases, and 2008 lost jobs. Now, the town’s unemployment rate is 12.2% (not seasonally adjusted).
Charlestown’s unemployment puts it well above the overall rate for the state and results from more than four years of continual employment declines.
Woonsocket’s number of employed residents has never been lower, in the 22 years of DLT data, and the only thing keeping its unemployment rate steady is the rapid decrease in labor force.
Smithfield’s unemployment rate has improved a little since 2010, but the reason is that its labor force has fallen off while its number of employed residents has mostly stagnated.
Scituate’s employment and population trends aren’t far from the typical RI town, and its not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is below the state’s overall number. However, the town has been on a consistent downward drift for a number of years.
Although no employment pictures are positive, in Rhode Island, Providence’s is a mixed bag. Still, all positive spin must be tempered with the fact that so few of its residents are interested in working, with only 40% actually employed. Its unemployment rate would be around 30% if it were like other cities and towns.
Standing in static comparison with other RI cities and towns, Pawtucket’s employment statistics are bad, but not state-leading. It’s the longer-term view of the city’s decline that ought to be a matter of concern.