The annual report entitled
"Rhode Island Employment and Wage Analysis" provides a
brief overview of the employment situations in Bristol, Kent,
Newport and Washington Counties, as well as two distinct areas
of Providence County — Northern Rhode Island* and Providence
Metro.**
Key findings for 2011 include:
• The
Rhode Island economy added 2,235 (+0.6%) private sector jobs
between 2010 and 2011, marking the first over-the-year private
sector employment gain since 2006. The two Providence County
areas, the Providence Metro Area (+1,155) and the Northern Rhode
Island area (+498) combined to add 1,653 jobs. Kent County
(+941) and Washington County (+299) also reported job gains
during this period while Bristol County (-135) and Newport
County (-79) reported job losses.
• Nearly 60 percent of the 389,240 Rhode Island-based private
sector jobs were located in Providence County, with Providence
Metro accounting for 40.1 percent and Northern Rhode Island
accounting for 19.8 percent of the state’s employment. Kent
County accounted for 16.7 percent of the state’s private
sector jobs, followed by Washington County (10.3%), Newport
County (7.9%) and Bristol County (3.0%).
• The City of Cranston reported the greatest numeric increase
in private sector employment between 2010 and 2011 with an
addition of 1,147 (+4.4%) jobs reported. Warwick (+1,134) and
Cumberland (+696) also reported large numeric employment gains
during this period.
• In all, twenty-one of thirty-nine Rhode Island cities and
towns reported job growth between 2010 and 2011, while eighteen
cities and towns experienced negative job growth.
• The statewide average annual wage in the private sector
increased 2.3 percent, or $996, from the $42,530 earned in 2010
to the $43,526 earned in 2011.
• Between 2010 and 2011, private sector wages in Providence
County experienced an annual wage increase of 2.7 percent, the
largest increase among all Rhode Island counties. The annual
wage increase in Bristol County was 2.4 percent, followed by
Kent County (+1.9%), Washington County (+1.7%) and Newport
County (+0.6%).
*Northern Rhode Island
includes: Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, Glocester,
Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket.
**Providence Metro includes: Cranston, East Providence, Foster,
Johnston, North Providence, Providence and Scituate.
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