http://ripr.org en http://ripr.org/post/ri-jobless-rate-drops-slightly <p>In a sign that Rhode Island finally, albeit slowly, is emerging from the recession, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped slightly in January to 9.8 percent, from 9.9 percent in December.</p><p>The good news is that January represented the third consecutive month of job growth in the state. Hiring was led by the retail and restaurant industries. The jobless rate has dropped considerably since the high of 11.9 percent in January, 2010.</p> Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:25:39 +0000 Scott MacKay 11556 at http://ripr.org http://ripr.org/post/ri-labor-dept-hires-laid-employees-help-unemployed <p>The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training says it is bringing back eleven previously laid off employees to help with the unemployment insurance call center.&nbsp;</p><p>Jobless Rhode Islanders have had to wait for hours, and in some cases days, to get a call through. &nbsp;The problem started in July when the Department was forced to lay off a third of its staffers due to reduced federal funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:19:20 +0000 Flo Jonic 9358 at http://ripr.org