Rhode Island unemployment rate remains at 3.5%

CRANSTON (AP) — Rhode Island's unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in December as the state closed out 2019 with 8,600 new jobs added over the year, state officials said Thursday.

The December rate was the same as November's and was down half a percentage point compared with December 2018. The national unemployment rate was also 3.5% last month, unchanged from November.

Officials with the state Department of Labor and Training said 19,400 Rhode Island residents were unemployed in December, down 200 from November. Officials said the number of unemployed residents decreased by 2,800 over the year.

The department reported that just over 9,300 residents filed for unemployment benefits last month.

Rhode Island had more than 506,000 non-farm jobs in December, 100 more than in November, marking the third-consecutive month of job gains.

State officials said employment in two sectors — accommodations & food services and professional & business services — grew by 300 jobs from November to December. Government employment grew by 200 jobs in the same period.

Jobs in the educational services sector decreased by 400 in December, offsetting some of the job gains.