RI jobless rate holds steady at 12.7%

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Rhode Island's unemployment rate was 12.7 percent in January, the same as it was in December 2009, the state Department of Labor and Training said Friday.

It was still three percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate, which was 9.7 percent in January. Rhode Island continues to have one of the worst unemployment rates in the country.

500 more people were looking for work in January, bringing the total number of unemployed Rhode Island residents to 73,300.

However, the number of employed Rhode Island residents increased by 2,000 from December, according to the Department of Labor and Training's survey. It attributes the increase in both employed and unemployed residents to new jobs and a renewed interest in the job search.

Other findings:

• The number of jobs in Rhode Island increased by 800 in January.
• Accommodation and Food services, along with Business services had the biggest job gains
• Wholesale Trade and Construction shed the most jobs

After reviewing tax records, state officials say that unemployment last year hit a peak in December at 12.7 percent, not 13 percent as originally estimated.