PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — State labor officials say Rhode Island lost 300 jobs from February to March, but the state unemployment rate dropped slightly during that period.
The state Department of Labor and Training said Thursday the number of Rhode Island-based jobs in March was 494,900, down 300 from the revised February job count and down 1,000 from the previous March.
The state unemployment rate in March dropped to 3.8 %, down one-tenth of a percentage point from February and four-tenths of a percentage point lower than March 2018. The state rate matches the national rate.
The number of unemployed Rhode Islanders fell by 700 from February to 21,200 in March.
The professional and business services sector lost 1,100 jobs in March, following a loss of 1,000 jobs in February and 1,000 in January.
