Overall unemployment rate moved down to 2.9% with the biggest shift in Restaurants & Hotels, which gained 5,800 roles, based on the most recently available information published in June 2022.

Total employment in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA market rose by 4,690 jobs in May and the unemployment rate decreased compared to the prior month by 10 bps to 2.9%. The national unemployment rate increased by 4 bps over the same time to 3.4%.

  • Providence-Warwick, RI-MA unemployment rate is 48 bps below the national rate which is a positive sign.
  • Unemployment in the market is 310 bps below the unemployment rate in the market last year at this time, which is a positive.
  • Average wages (per hour) grew in May versus prior month by 8.8% and are up 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 May 2022

For key employment segments of the market, total jobs grew by 1.2% . Key sectors include:

  • Education & Healthcare: 124,300; -1,400
  • Transportation & Utilities: 102,800; -100
  • Business Services: 77,200; +100
  • Government: 75,900; +100
  • Restaurants & Hotels: 69,200; +5,800
  • Manufacturing: 50,100; no change
  • Financial Services: 37,400; +200
  • Construction, Mining: 28,500; +1,800
  • Other Jobs: 26,400; +300
  • IT & Development: 6,800; +100
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Unemployment by Industry May 2022

Data is based on the most recent 12 months available, through May 2022 (Data published June 2022 and reports created on June 29, 2022).  Source: Government data agency and locally acquired statistics.

Note: All reported data is not seasonally adjusted.