RI unemployment worst in the nation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island has posted the worst unemployment rate in the nation, and economists fear the situation could get worse.

An estimated 8.8 percent of workers in Rhode Island were looking for jobs in September. Statistics released yesterday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a larger rate of workers in Rhode Island searching for jobs than in any other state in the country.

Economists say Rhode Island entered a recession more than a year ago, well ahead of the current financial meltdown on Wall Street.

The state has lost manufacturing jobs and is heavily dependent on small businesses, which officials fear have fewer reserves to cope with a prolonged economic downturn.