PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island’s unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in December was up slightly from November but down significantly from the 4.5 percent rate in December 2017.
The state’s Department of Labor and Training also announced Thursday the December 2018 rate matches the national unemployment rate.
The department says the number of jobs in the state was up 2,200 from November, and up 7,100 from a year ago.
The number of unemployed residents - those classified as available for and actively seeking employment - was 21,700, up 400 from November but down 3,400 over the course of the year. The number of people claiming unemployment benefits was also down year over year.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics says the state had an all-time high of 505,000 jobs.
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