On the positive side, according to the U.S. bureau
of Economic Analysis, personal incomes rose 2.6% in Rhode Island in 2013 and
per capita income ranked as the 14th highest in the nation. Personal
income increased $1.3 billion statewide in 2013. On the negative side, with a
national unemployment rate of 6.7%, there are only four states with
unemployment rates higher than 8% — California, Illinois, Nevada and Rhode Island.
And Rhode Island is the only state with a rate exceeding 9%. Economic analysts
say that Rhode Island’s unemployment stems from previous reliance on
manufacturing jobs and jobs in the financial sector, neither of which are
returning to the state. As NFIB has consistently stated over the past few
years, public policy must focus like a laser beam on job creation. Speaker
Mattiello has been making similar remarks since becoming Speaker last
week.
