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Rhode Island's unemployment rate remained by the far the highest in New England in January, according to a report released today by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

It is the third highest for the month in the country.

The state's jobless rate catapulted to 10.3 percent in January, up from 9.4 percent in December. That followed an historic rise in joblessness last year, when the increase in the state's unemployment rate led the nation.

The deepening recession is causing job losses throughout the country and region. Five of the six New England states (all except Vermont) saw their unemployment rate rise in January, according to the new report. Maine suffered the biggest jump, recording a 1.3 percent increase, giving it a 7.8 percent unemployment rate, the region's second-highest.

But Rhode Island's employment woes are still dragging down the regional average. Following Rhode Island and Maine, Massachusetts recorded the next highest rate (7.4 percent), slightly worse than Connecticut (7.3 percent) and Vermont (6.8 percent). New Hampshire continues to lead the region, with only 5.1 percent of job seekers out of work.

Nationally, Rhode Island is one of four states with double-digit unemployment. The worst in the country is Michigan, with 11.6 percent unemployment, followed by South Carolina (10.4 percent) and California (10.1).

 Tags  economic stimulus plan economy employment jobs recession Rhode Island unemployment rate

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