Rhode Island-based Jobs rose by 400 from December; January Unemployment Rate increased to 4.5 Percent

Rhode Island-based Jobs rose by 400 from December; January Unemployment Rate increased to 4.5 Percent

Published on Thursday, April 02, 2026

CRANSTON, R.I. - Jobs at Rhode Island businesses rose by 400 in January as the state's unemployment rate increased to 4.5 percent. Over the year, jobs were down 2,200 from January 2025, and the unemployment rate was unchanged.

Rhode Island's Labor Force

The January unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from the December rate. Last year, the rate was 4.5 percent in January.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in January, down one-tenth of a percentage point from December. The U.S. rate was 4.0 percent in January 2025.

The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents - those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment - was 26,800, up 500 from December. The number of unemployed residents was up 100 over the year.

The number of employed Rhode Island residents was 564,200, down 1,300 over the month and down 3,700 over the year.

The Rhode Island labor force totaled 591,000 in January, down 800 over the month and down 3,600 from January 2025.

The labor force participation rate was 63.7 percent in January, down one-tenth from December and down from 64.4 percent in January 2025. Nationally, 62.1 percent of U.S. residents participated in the labor force.

Unemployment Insurance claims* for first-time filers averaged 2,241 in January, up from 1,140 in December. Claims were down an average of 22 a week from January 2025.

Rhode Island-based Jobs

The number of total nonfarm jobs in Rhode Island was 514,600 in January, an increase of 400 jobs from the revised December jobs figure of 514,200. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs are down 2,200 or -0.4 percent. Nationally, jobs were up 0.2 percent or 290,000 from a year ago. The number of private sector jobs in Rhode Island was up 700 in January and up 400 from January 2025.

January Nonfarm Payroll Notes…

• A gain of 200 jobs each was added in the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation, Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional & Technical Services, and the Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities sectors.
• Through the addition of 200 jobs in January, the Health Care & Social Assistance job count stands at 88,500, an all-time high.
• Offsetting the job gains was a loss of 300 jobs reported in the Government sector, which is also down 2,600 jobs from January 2025.
• Over the past three months, the Rhode Island economy has added 800 jobs, or a gain of just under 300 jobs per month.
• The December job report was revised up to 514,200, an increase of 1,000 over the revised November job count of 513,200.

Manufacturing Hours and Earnings

In January, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $25.24 per hour, down thirty-six cents from December and down fifty-nine cents from January 2025. Manufacturing employees worked an average of 44.1 hours per week in January, up one and a half hours over the month and up four 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 February 2026 labor force figures and job counts at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

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