Rhode Island Job Growth
There were 468,300 jobs in Rhode Island in May 2021 according to the CES survey of employers. The CPS survey of households showed 506,992 employed persons for the month. Rhode Island added 400 jobs in May 2021 according to the CES survey while the broader CPS employment measure rose by 1,207 (Comparing CES and CPS employment numbers.). Also available is Rhode Island job growth compared to other states.
| Employment Survey | May 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| CES | 468,300 | +400 | +54,000 |
| CPS | 506,992 | +1,207 | +53,300 |
Rhode Island Employment Changes
The charts below shows the monthly job growth for Rhode Island as measured by the CES and CPS surveys. To illustrate the trend, the 3 month moving average change in employment is shown in green.
CES Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month
CPS Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month
Total Employment in Rhode Island
CES employment peaked in February 2020 for Rhode Island at 507,200. Since then 38,900 jobs have been lost in Rhode Island according to the employer survey. From a trough of 399,200 in April 2020, Rhode Island has gained 69,100 jobs according to CES employment figures.
CPS employment in Rhode Island reached a maximum of 545,438 in January 2007. 38,446 jobs have been lost in Rhode Island since then according to the household survey. From a April 2020 low of 450,988, Rhode Island has added 56,004 jobs according to the CPS survey.
Employment: CES, CPS
Rhode Island Employment History
| Date | CES Employment |
CES Month/Month |
CPS Employment |
CPS Month/Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | 468,300 | 400 | 506,992 | 1,207 |
| April 2021 | 467,900 | 700 | 505,785 | 2,435 |
| March 2021 | 467,200 | 2,600 | 503,350 | 3,771 |
| February 2021 | 464,600 | 1,400 | 499,579 | -1,614 |
| January 2021 | 463,200 | 5,400 | 501,193 | 5,334 |
| December 2020 | 457,800 | -5,800 | 495,859 | -343 |
| November 2020 | 463,600 | 1,700 | 496,202 | -712 |
| October 2020 | 461,900 | -700 | 496,914 | -115 |
| September 2020 | 462,600 | 5,300 | 497,029 | 33,752 |
| August 2020 | 457,300 | 10,500 | 463,277 | 2,483 |
| July 2020 | 446,800 | 10,800 | 460,794 | 3,555 |
| June 2020 | 436,000 | 21,700 | 457,239 | 3,547 |
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
