May was the eighth consecutive month in which Rhode Island had
the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Nevada or Rhode Island have had
the highest unemployment rate for more than a year. Despite declining for the
past six months, Rhode Island’s rate (8.2%) remains two to three percentage
points higher than MA (5.6%) and CT (6.9%). Vermont (3.3%) had the lowest
unemployment rate in New England.
Speaker Mattiello’s pledge to continue to focus on job
creation, particularly in the small business sector, during the next
legislative session, is the right path.
