RI: Unemployment and Income

New England’s unemployment rate was unchanged in August
at 5.9 percent, but Rhode Island still had the highest jobless rate among the
six states at 7.7 percent. Meanwhile, the total personal income of Rhode
Islanders grew 1.5% in the second quarter of the calendar year – up from $50.8
billion to $51.5 billion (seasonally adjusted and annually projected). But the
rate of increase in personal income was 35^th nationally and less
than the average rate nationally and fourth among the slow growth New England
states although faster than CT and MA.