Published on Thursday, July 16, 2026
CRANSTON, R.I. – Jobs at Rhode Island businesses rose by 300 in June as the state’s unemployment rate decreased to 4.1 percent. Over the year, jobs were down 1,900 from June 2025, and the unemployment rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point.
Rhode Island’s Labor Force
The June unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from the May rate. Last year, the rate was 4.3 percent in June.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in June, down one-tenth of a percentage point from May. The U.S. rate was 4.1 percent in June 2025.
The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents — those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment — was 23,600, down 1,600 from May. The number of unemployed residents was down 1,900 over the year.
The number of employed Rhode Island residents was 555,100, down 1,000 over the month and down 13,800 over the year.
The Rhode Island labor force totaled 578,700 in June, down 2,600 over the month and down 15,700 from June 2025.
The labor force participation rate was 62.3 percent in June, down three-tenths from May and down from 64.2 percent in June 2025. Nationally, 61.5 percent of U.S. residents participated in the labor force.
Unemployment Insurance claims* for first-time filers averaged 710 in June, down from 1,292 in May. Claims were down an average of 154 a week from June 2025.
Rhode Island-based Jobs
The number of total nonfarm jobs in Rhode Island was 514,200 in June, an increase of 300 jobs from the revised May jobs figure of 513,900. Over the year, total nonfarm jobs are down 1,900 or -0.4 percent. Nationally, jobs were up 0.3 percent or 506,000 from a year ago. The number of private sector jobs in Rhode Island was up 200 in June and down 700 from June 2025.
June Nonfarm Payroll Notes
- The Other Services sector reported a gain of 400 jobs in June, following a gain of 200 jobs in May.
- In addition, job gains of 300 and 200 were reported in the Administrative & Waste Services and Professional & Technical Services sectors, respectively.
- Offsetting the job gains was a loss of 300 jobs reported in the Construction sector and a loss of 200 jobs in both the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation and Transportation & Utilities sectors.
- Over the past three months, the Rhode Island job count has been down 300 on average.
- The May job report was revised up to 513,900, an increase of 100 over the published job count of 513,800. The May over-the-month job change from April is now down 200, as opposed to the 300 originally reported.
Manufacturing Hours and Earnings
In June, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $26.10 per hour, up 39 cents from May and up 64 cents from June 2025.
Manufacturing employees worked an average of 43.7 hours per week in June, down two-tenths of an hour over the month but up two and two-tenths 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 July 2026 labor force figures and job counts at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
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