Rhode Island jobs and job market: layoffs, colleges and workforce help

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate is 3.7%. 733 open professional jobs are listed here. Employers filed 6 layoff notices in the last 12 months. Choose a county or city for the same picture closer to home.

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Rhode Island economy

  • 3.7%

    unemployment, Aug 2026

    4.3% the month before

  • 577,129

    in the labor force

    Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics

  • 1,095,371

    people in Rhode Island

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau

  • $86,372

    median household income

    Source: Census ACS

  • 44%

    of workers in white-collar occupations

    Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS

Rhode Island layoffs

  • 6

    WARN layoff notices, last 12 months

  • 10,723

    workers named

    A floor: states may leave out counts

  • 6

    employers

WARN notices filed in Rhode Island, newest first
Notice dateEmployerCity or countyWorkersTypeSource
HasbroTakes effect Dec 24, 2026Pawtucket587—State record
ConduentTakes effect Aug 28, 2026Conduent1—State record
Ideal US Talent Systems Worker OpCo LLCTakes effect Jul 1, 2026—9,891—State record
Allied Group, LLCCumberland154—State record
Northeast Transportation Services LLCTakes effect May 9, 2026Pawtucket52—State record
EaglePicherTakes effect Mar 15, 2026East Greenwich38—State record

All layoff notices in the state

Get an email when a new notice is filed for Rhode Island

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Employers hiring most in Rhode Island

Employers with the most open professional roles on our job board right now.

  1. Seacorp33 open roles
  2. Anduril Industries22 open roles
  3. CVS HEALTH22 open roles
  4. Arcfield17 open roles
  5. Citizens Financial Group Inc/Ri16 open roles
  6. RTX16 open roles
  7. Women and Infants Hospital16 open roles
  8. General Dynamics Electric Boat14 open roles
  9. Anduril13 open roles
  10. Gilbane12 open roles
  11. United Natural Foods (UNFI)10 open roles
  12. Raytheon9 open roles

Largest employers headquartered in Rhode Island

Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.

Higher education in Rhode Island

  • 13

    public and private nonprofit colleges

    Source: IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education

  • about 77,500

    students enrolled

    Estimated from size bands

Largest colleges in Rhode Island

Largest colleges in Rhode Island
CollegeCityTypeStudents
Brown UniversityProvidencePrivate nonprofit 4-year10,000–19,999
University of Rhode IslandKingstonPublic 4-year10,000–19,999
Rhode Island CollegeProvidencePublic 4-year5,000–9,999
Bryant UniversitySmithfieldPrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
Johnson & Wales University-OnlineProvidencePrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceProvidencePrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
New England Institute of TechnologyEast GreenwichPrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
Providence CollegeProvidencePrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
Rhode Island School of DesignProvidencePrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
Roger Williams UniversityBristolPrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
Salve Regina UniversityNewportPrivate nonprofit 4-year1,000–4,999
College UnboundProvidencePrivate nonprofit 4-yearUnder 1,000

All 13 Rhode Island colleges

Workforce development and job centers

The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Rhode Island. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.

3 American Job Centers in Rhode Island

Job fairs and business events in Rhode Island

Hiring events, career workshops, small-business counseling and startup events from chambers, job centers, workforce boards, colleges and economic-development groups in Rhode Island.

Conferences in Rhode Island

Industry conferences and trade shows held in Rhode Island, the ones worth a trip for hiring managers and job seekers. 5 with dates announced.

All conferences

Rhode Island counties

Each county page has its own unemployment, layoffs, job openings, employers, colleges and job centers.

Rhode Island cities

Cities with open jobs, layoff notices, a job center or a college.

Laid off or looking for work in Rhode Island?

See what to do first, what Rhode Island unemployment benefits pay, and the jobs open near you.

See your options after a layoff

Sources: Census Bureau and BLS for population, income and unemployment; WARN notices from Rhode Island’s published record; job counts from our live job board, taken from employers’ own career sites; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Rhode Island unemployment benefits.