RI Department of Labor and Training Labor Market Information Labor Force Brief

Labor Force Brief – April 2013

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The statistical data in the Labor Force Brief are subject to monthly and annual revisions; therefore, the figures in the current edition should not be compared to those in prior versions of this publication.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Our unemployment rate in April 2013 was 8.8 percent, down three-tenths of a percentage point from March.

Total jobs in Rhode Island increased in March by 1,500 from February’s employment level of 465,500..

In April 2013, the number of unemployed RI residents was down 1,700 from the March level of 51,100.

The number of RI residents employed in April 2013 increased by 1,200 from March to 508,900.

The April 2013 jobless rate was down one and eight-tenths percentage points from the April 2012 rate of 10.6 percent. The number of unemployed was 9,700 below the year-ago level.

The number of employed RI residents was up 9,100 from the April 2012 level

Since December 2006 (peak employment in Rhode Island) private sector jobs are down 23,700, a decline of 5.5 percent..

RI MONTHLY JOB CHANGES (seasonally adjusted)
The total job count in Rhode Island increased by 500 from March’s level to 467,400 in April, as five of the ten major industry super sectors showed job gains. On the national level, US payroll employment increased by 165,000 in April.

In Rhode Island, job gains were noted in Education & Health Services (+600), Leisure & Hospitality (+600), Manufacturing (+400), Professional & Business Services (+300) and Other Services (+200). Government and Information were unchanged.

In Rhode Island, job losses were felt in Trade, Transportation & Utilities (-800), Construction (-500) and Financial Activities (-300).

The US economy added 165,000 jobs in April. Job gains were in Professional & Business Services (+73,000), Leisure & Hospitality (+43,000), Trade, Transportation & Utilities (+37,000), Education & Health Services (+28,000), Financial Activities (+9,000) and Other Services (+4,000). Manufacturing was unchanged. Job losses were in Government (-11,000), Information (-9,000) and Construction (-6,000).

Compared to April 2012, RI jobs were up 2,700 overall. Six of the ten super sectors showed over-the-year job gains: Professional & Business Services (+2,600), Financial Activities (+1,200), Manufacturing (+1,100), Education & Health Services (+900), Other Services (+400) and Leisure & Hospitality (+100).

Construction (-1,400), Trade, Transportation & Utilities (-1,200), Information (-500) and Government (-500) reported job losses over the year.

Through April 2013, Rhode Island had a net loss of 29,000 total jobs from December 2006, the peak in RI employment. Of the super sectors, Manufacturing had the largest loss (-11,200), followed by Construction (-8,400), Trade, Transportation & Utilities (-6,800), Government
(-5,300), Financial Activities (-3,400), Information (-1,700) and Other Services (-300).

RI Job Changes by Major Industry Super Sector

Education & Health Services (+6,000), Professional & Business Services (+1,400) and Leisure & Hospitality (+800) were the only super sector to report jobs gains since December 2006.

RI’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8.8 percent in April was down three-tenths of a percentage point from the March 2013 level. RI’s April unemployment rate was 1.3 percentage points above the US rate (7.5 percent).

RI’s jobless rate in April 2013 was down three-tenths of a percentage point from the prior month’s rate of 9.1 percent. The April rate was down one and eight-tenths percentage points from last April.

In April, RI’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate (8.8%) was 1.3 percentage points above the US rate of 7.5 percent. The US rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from March’s rate of 7.6 percent.

The number of employed RI residents increased by 1,200 from March to April 2013 and was up 9,100 from April 2012.

Our labor force (-700) loss in April reflects the decrease in the number of unemployed (-1,700) outweighing the increase in the number of employed (+1,200).

RI's unemployment rate for March 2013 (9.1%) was above the rates for both Massachusetts (6.4%) and Connecticut (8.0%). (April data for MA and CT are not yet available.)

The number of RI residents classified as unemployed was down 1,700 from the March level of 51,100.

The number of unemployed residents in Rhode Island was down 1,700 from the March level to 49,400.

For the thirtieth straight month, the number of unemployed RI residents was lower than its respective prior year level.

The number of unemployed RI residents was down 9,700 from the April 2012 level.

Most of our Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims levels for 2013 are below the 2012 and 2011 levels, indicating an improvement in the Rhode Island economy.

	RI Initial Claims for unemployment benefits through the first 18 weeks of 2013 were 1.4 percent above the same period in 2012. They were down 0.1 percent in 2012 from 2011 levels during the same period.
	US Initial Claims were down 4.3 percent over the first 15 weeks of 2013 compared to 2012. They were down 12.7 percent in 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.
	The number of RI Continued Claims through the first 18 weeks of 2013 - those individuals who are collecting unemployment benefits – was 7.9 percent below calendar year 2012. The 2012 levels were down 9.2 percent from 2011 levels.
	↑ US Continued Claims decreased 8.3 percent over the first 15 weeks of 2013 compared to 2012. They were down 12.6 percent in 2012 from 2011.
NOTE: The pattern in RI claims data for the first quarter of 2009 were skewed by the delays in processing UI claims over the winter months. Claims and payments are not counted until they are entered into the system, so the increases shown for the first quarter of 2009 are misleading.

The number of Final Payments for those on the regular UI program was down 25.6 percent during the first 18 weeks of 2013 when compared to 2012. It was down 11.1 percent in 2012 compared to the same period in 2011

EUC & EB - Since the onset of UI benefits extensions, 2,979,881 payments have been issued under the federal extension (EUC-08). There were 492,315 payments issued under the federal-state extension (EB) program, which ended in Rhode Island as of July 7, 2012.

RI's Insured Unemployment Rate of 3.71 percent (the number of individuals collecting as a percentage of covered employment) for the last week of April 2013 was below our 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 levels.

RI's 13-Week Average Insured Unemployment Rate

RI’s Insured Unemployment Rate was 14.42 percent below the prior two-year average in the last week of April.

OTHER LOCAL ECONOMIC ITEMS IN THE NEWS

North Atlantic Distribution (NORAD) has announced that Honda will begin shipping autos to the Port of Davisville in 2014. Approximately 25,000 autos will arrive the first year, with more the following year. Currently there are 300 jobs at NORAD and 1,100 direct and indirect jobs at the Port of Davisville. The arrival of Honda shipments will bring more jobs for the port, which is currently the seventh largest auto importer in North America. (Providence Business News, 4/19/13)

Twin River is still looking to hire dealers and other employees to staff 65 tables game scheduled to be operating on July 1st. The slot parlor expects to add between 500 and 600 employees. Currently, about 300 new employees are going through the training and licensing process. (Providence Journal, 5/6/13)

An independent feature film, "Infinitely Polar Bear", has begun local production. Shooting is expected to take place in and around Providence over about six weeks. The film stars Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana. (NBC10 News, 4/23/13)


	RI Department of Labor and Training Center General Complex 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920	Phone: (401) 462-8000 Fax (401) 462-8872 TTY via RI Relay: 711 5/15/13 MDF
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