Unemployment is a persistent problem in Rhode Island
During the recent recession, Rhode Island's unemployment rate has been among the highest in the nation, if not the highest.
The Providence Business News reported that from 2007 to 2012, Rhode Island lost 7.4% of its non-farm jobs, leaving 36,700 more people out of work than before the recession.
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS program.