Overall unemployment rate moved down to 5.3% with the biggest shift in Restaurants & Hotels, which gained 3,000 roles, based on the most recently available information published in June 2021.

Total employment in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA market rose by 6,371 jobs in April and the unemployment rate decreased compared to the prior month by 190 bps to 5.3%. The national unemployment rate decreased by 43 bps over the same time to 5.7%.

  • Providence-Warwick, RI-MA unemployment rate is 45 bps below the national rate which is a positive sign.
  • Unemployment in the market is 1,280 bps below the unemployment rate in the market last year at this time, which is a positive.
  • Average wages (per hour) declined in April versus prior month by -1.3% and are down compared to last year at this time in the market.
Month over Month Unemployment Change
Year over Year Unemployment Change
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Unemployment April 2021

For key employment segments of the market, total jobs grew by 1.3% . Key sectors include:

  • Education & Healthcare: 121,400; -200
  • Transportation & Utilities: 96,100; -1,100
  • Government: 73,700; +500
  • Business Services: 70,900; +2,500
  • Restaurants & Hotels: 52,500; +3,000
  • Manufacturing: 49,000; +100
  • Financial Services: 37,000; +300
  • Construction, Mining: 25,600; +1,600
  • Other Jobs: 23,900; +500
  • IT & Development: 5,900; +100
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Unemployment by Industry April 2021

Data is based on the most recent 12 months available, through April 2021 (Data published June 2021 and reports created on June 2, 2021).  Source: Government data agency and locally acquired statistics.

Note: All reported data is not seasonally adjusted.