Rhode Island unemployment falls to 3.6%, its lowest since November 2023
By The Liberty Tribune Data Desk ·
Rhode Island's unemployment rate fell to 3.6% in September 2026, down from 3.7% in August, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That is the lowest rate the state has recorded since November 2023, when it was 3.5%.
Rhode Island now ranks 20th of 51 for the lowest rate among the 50 states and D.C., up from 23rd in August.
The national rate was 4.2%, so Rhode Island sits 0.6 percentage points below the U.S. figure.
A year earlier, in September 2025, the state's rate was 4.3%.
Elsewhere in the New England division: New Hampshire 2.6%, Vermont 2.6%, Maine 3.3%, Massachusetts 4.3%, Connecticut 5.1%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, series LASST440000000000003 (seasonally adjusted), and LNS14000000 for the national rate. Rank 1 is the lowest rate; tied states share a rank. Computed by The Liberty Tribune from the published series.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 26, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
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