Providence-Warwick, Rhode Island Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Providence fell 0.4 percentage points in January 2021 to 7.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points higher than the Rhode Island rate. The unemployment rate in Providence peaked in April 2020 at 18.5% and is now 11.0 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.1% in October 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Providence unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | January 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 6.3% | -0.4 | +2.8 |
| Rhode Island | 7.2% | -0.7 | +3.4 |
| Providence | 7.5% | -0.4 | +4.1 |
Unemployment Rate: Providence, Rhode Island, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Providence, Rhode Island Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Providence peaked in April 2020 at 120,641. There are now 69,842 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 47,608 in November 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 3,191. Providence employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Providence, Rhode Island) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | January 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | 50,799 | -2,521 | +27,019 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Providence, Rhode Island Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Rhode Island Unemployment Rate |
Providence Unemployment Rate |
Providence Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2021 |
6.0% | — | — | — |
| February 2021 |
6.2% | 7.3% | — | — |
| January 2021 |
6.3% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 50,799 |
| December 2020 |
6.7% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 53,320 |
| November 2020 |
6.7% | 7.9% | 7.1% | 47,608 |
| October 2020 |
6.9% | 7.3% | 7.1% | 47,736 |
| September 2020 |
7.8% | 10.9% | 10.4% | 72,791 |
| August 2020 |
8.4% | 12.6% | 13.0% | 87,257 |
| July 2020 |
10.2% | 14.0% | 12.5% | 86,256 |
| June 2020 |
11.1% | 10.9% | 14.0% | 95,580 |
| May 2020 |
13.3% | 12.9% | 17.0% | 110,339 |
| April 2020 |
14.8% | 17.4% | 18.5% | 120,641 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
Department of Numbers
The Department of Numbers contextualizes public data so that individuals can form independent opinions on everyday social and economic matters.
