How many jobs were lost in Rhode Island last month?
Refreshed monthly
Rhode Island lost 300 jobs in May 2026, ranking it 40th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 585 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-300
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
40th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's loss of 300 jobs was the second consecutive month of negative job growth in Rhode Island. Monthly job growth was up from the 1,100 lost jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Rhode Island gained jobs in 40 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 15th-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+3,900) while job growth was weakest in April 2023 (-3,300).
There were 300 fewer jobs in May 2026 in Rhode Island than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Rhode Island sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were transportation, warehousing, and utilities, wholesale trade, and other services. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities added 300 jobs, more than the entire economy. Wholesale trade gained 300 jobs, while other services added 200. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector lost 200 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Rhode Island (May 2026)
How does Rhode Island's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Rhode Island lost an average of 142 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 558, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fifth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 1,300 on average every month in 2008 to a gain of 783 on average every month in 2014.
In 2025, Rhode Island lost an average of 142 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Rhode Island
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | -2,100 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
