RI's April jobless rate up to 11.2 percent; employed residents at lowest level since 1996

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island's unemployment rate ticked up again in April to 11.2 percent, and the size of its labor force continued to decline.

The state Department of Labor and Training said Friday the jobless rate was up one-tenth of one percentage point from March, when it stood at 11.1 percent figure.

The April figure is more than 3 percentage points higher than the U.S. unemployment rate of 8.1 percent.

The number of employed Rhode Island residents was down 2,000 over revised March figures, dropping to 494,100. Officials say that's the lowest level since September 1996.

The state labor force of 556,300 was down 1,900 from March. The state says that's the smallest labor force since February 2005.

Rhode Island created just 100 jobs from March to April.

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