All Entries in the "Chamber of Commerce" Category
RI DOLT Unemployment Rate Held Steady
PRESS RELEASE
EMBARGOED until 10 AM
on Thursday, March 8, 2018
January Unemployment Rate Held Steady;
Rhode Island-Based Jobs down 200 from December
The RI Department of Labor and Training announced today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2018 was 4.5 percent, unchanged from the revised December rate. Over the year, the unemployment rate is down one-tenth of a percentage point from the January 2017 rate of 4.6 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in January 2018, unchanged from the previous month and down seven-tenths of a percentage point over the year.
The number of unemployed RI residents — those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment —was 25,100, unchanged from December. Over the year, the number of unemployed dropped by 300.
A total of 13,072 individuals collected Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits in January 2018 *, down from 13,444 a year ago. This month, UI claimants accounted for 44.4 percent of the total unemployed.
The number of employed RI residents was 531,500, an increase of 400 from the December figure of 531,100. Over the year, the number of employed RI residents was up 4,000 from January 2017 (527,500).
The RI labor force totaled 556,600 in January 2018, up 300 from December 2017 and up 3,700 from January 2017 (552,900).
JOBS BASED IN RHODE ISLAND: Estimated nonfarm payroll in Rhode Island totaled 497,700 in January, reflecting a loss of 200 jobs from the revised December estimate of 497,900. Over the year, the Rhode Island economy is up 6,100 jobs, with 5,800 of those jobs stemming from the private sector. The Government sector is up 300 jobs from a year ago.
The Accommodation & Food Services sector lost 700 jobs in January, with a bulk of the losses occurring in the food services and drinking places subsector. Over the year, the number of jobs within the Accommodation & Food sector is down 600.
The number of jobs in the Professional & Business Services sector fell by 400 from December. Despite the January shortfall, employment in the Professional & Business Services sector is up 2,000 over the year.
Financial Activities (-300) and Government (-100) were the two remaining employment sectors to report a job decline in January. Employment in both sectors is up from January 2017, with Financial Activities being up 700 jobs and Government up 300 jobs.
A total of seven employment industry sectors reported an increase in jobs since December, led by Construction and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation, increasing by 300 jobs each. Construction employment is up 600 from a year ago, while employment in Arts, Entertainment & Recreation is down 200 from a year ago.
(More)
DLT Administrative Offices: 1511 Pontiac Ave., Cranston RI 02920 www.dlt.ri.gov
PRESS RELEASE
Monthly Employment January 2018, page 2 of 2
Educational Services and Wholesale Trade were each up 200 jobs in January, while heading in opposite directions from a year ago. Education Services employment is up 300 jobs from January 2017, while Wholesale Trade employment is down 600 jobs.
Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing and Other Services all added 100 jobs each in January, with all three sectors being up 1,800, 1,300 and 400 jobs, respectively, over the year.
The number of jobs in the Retail Trade, Information, Transportation & Utilities and Mining & Logging sectors remained unchanged from December. Among these sectors, employment in Retail Trade and Information were down 100 each from a year ago, while employment in Transportation & Utilities was up 300 from a year ago. Mining & Logging employment was unchanged from January 2017.
MANUFACTURING: In January 2018, production workers in the Manufacturing sector earned $19.01 per hour, down four cents from December 2017, but up sixty-one cents from January 2017.
Manufacturing employees worked an average of 39.5 hours per week in January, down two and three-tenths hours over the month, but up one-tenth of an hour from a year ago.
METHODOLOGY: The unemployment figures are based largely on a survey of households in Rhode Island and measure the unemployment status of people who live in the state. Unemployment rates prior to 1976 are not recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as official since the methodology used at that time is not comparable to today’s methods. The establishment of employment figures is derived from a survey of businesses in Rhode Island and measures the number of jobs in the state. Rhode Island labor market information is available at www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi. Additional information on procedures for producing Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/cesprocs.htm. BLS will be releasing all states’ January labor force data and job counts on March 12, 2018. DLT is scheduled to release the February 2018 labor force figures and job counts on Thursday, March 22, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
ABOUT DLT: The RI Department of Labor and Training offers employment services, educational services and economic opportunities to both individuals and employers. DLT protects Rhode Island’s workforce by enforcing labor laws, prevailing wage rates and workplace health and safety standards. The department also provides temporary income support to unemployed and temporarily disabled workers. For more information, please call the RI Department of Labor and Training at (401) 462-8000 or visit the website at www.dlt.ri.gov.
*Refers to the number of new and reopened claims filed by UI beneficiaries and claims filed by those already collecting UI in the week that includes the 12th of the month.
DLT Administrative Offices: 1511 Pontiac Ave., Cranston RI 02920 www.dlt.ri.gov
Executive Director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce Hits the Road to Meet Local Business Owners
MIDDLETOWN, RI – Erin Donovan-Boyle, Executive Director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce has begun her “E.D. Hits the Road” initiative, meeting with local business owners in each municipality in Newport County. Erin will be meeting with Chamber business owners to introduce herself, learn more about their business, and let owners express their thoughts on the business climate. She will also inform members on how the Chamber’s economic initiative, our free marketing tools, educational opportunities and networking events can help their business succeed.
Donovan-Boyle began this campaign in Portsmouth visiting Stalise, Deborah Winthrop Lingerie, Kimberly for Consistently Excellent Eyebrows, Atria, Fatigati’s Fresh Pasta, and Weatherly Tile and Stone. She will continue visiting Chamber businesses in Portsmouth throughout the month of September and then will continue on to Tiverton, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, and Jamestown.
The campaign will take place each Tuesday afternoon through the fall. If you are a Chamber business owner who would like to have Erin Donovan-Boyle come by your business please call the Chamber staff at 401-847-1608 to schedule a Tuesday for her to visit. We look forward to our continued work within Newport County and for the Executive Director to have the opportunity to engage face to face with the business community. Please follow our journey along through our Facebook page for photos and updates.
The Newport County Chamber of Commerce is the second largest chamber in the state with about 1100 members representing over 50,000 employees and is one of Rhode Island’s largest business advocacy organizations, formed to enhance the business, civic and economic vitality of Newport County and greater Rhode Island. We help business succeed.
Raimondo and the Commerce Corporation Launch New Initiative to make it Easier to Do Business in Rhode Island
Providence, R.I. – Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor, in partnership with the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, state agencies, and Rhode Island Chambers of Commerce, today announced the launch of the Commerce Corporation’s new Business Navigation Center. The Center will serve as a starting point for all businesses conducting, or looking to conduct, business in Rhode Island, and is one piece of a larger initiative to make Rhode Island more business friendly.
“Every week, my schedule includes time to reach out to companies to listen, to ask them to take a second look at our state,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “One of the biggest struggles I hear is finding a way to navigate the red tape. With my jobs plan, we have taken huge strides to change to make it easier to do business in Rhode Island, and we’re taking another important step forward today with the launch of the Business Navigation Center. This Center will serve as a one-stop shop for existing business looking to grow and new businesses looking to move to here, making government an effective partner in promoting innovation and creating jobs.”
The Commerce Corporation also announced the launch of its new website, which specifically caters to the needs to companies in the state and features a custom navigation tool to assist businesses and connect them to the proper resources. The corporation is coordinating with the Rhode Island chambers of commerce to maintain an advisory council that meets regularly and provides invaluable feedback on what is and isn’t working for businesses in the state.
“Focusing on business retention and expansion is critical to strengthening Rhode Island’s economy. Through creation of our Business Navigation Center, we are providing a one-stop-shop to businesses — an accessible and responsive concierge service that can get the job done for Rhode Island companies large and small,” said Stefan Pryor, Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce.
Today’s event was held at the new Artic Tool & Engineering Company facility in Greenville, RI. As the first company to receive services through the new Business Navigation Center, they were able to find a new location and obtain a loan to purchase it.
“The team at the Commerce Corporation makes it easier to do business in Rhode Island,” said CEO of Artic Tools & Engineering Company Michael Gamache. “We needed more space to grow our operations here in Rhode Island, and they helped us find a new facility to do that. They also walked us through the process of obtaining financing to acquire and renovate the building to suit our need. Now we are in a position to increase sales and our workforce.”
“Whenever we can combine the efforts of those entities that want to help businesses grow the ultimate winners are the employers and employees. Running a business is hard long work. This effort will give business anther partner to assist in growth and retention, said John Gregory, President of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce.”
The center, located at the Commerce Corporation in Providence, currently has five, highly-qualified advisors on staff; they can be considered the concierge office to the resort that is Rhode Island, ready to help any start-up or existing business. To add a personal touch, each client is assigned one advisor, which will enable the advisors to become intimately knowledge about the needs of their clients. Based on the information received, the advisor, personally, will guide the client through the solution to address each business need. Potential clients can connect with the Business Navigation Center online through the Commerce Corporation’s website.
Businesses can use the center for:
- Business planning and general counseling through center resource partners
- Pre-qualifying and, ultimately, qualifying for a business loan
- Applying for and, ultimately, receiving specialty certifications for government contracts
- Locating a business site
- Entering the international market
- Using university business engagement centers for specific business-related projects
- Working with the Department of Labor and Training on workforce development, layoff aversion options and new hire skills assessment
- Minimizing energy costs via the Renewable Energy Fund
- Determining which state incentives apply
The advisory council – comprised of the Providence, Northern Rhode Island, Central Rhode Island and Newport Chambers of Commerce, joined by Mark Hayward of the Small Business Administration regional office – provide a level of local and regional oversight to business needs and offer improvement suggestions on how the center can better meet the needs of clients.
Through the center, the Commerce Corporation will offer a unique service to address the complexities of starting a business and to showcase the toolkit of programs available to existing businesses in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island, through the Business Navigation Center, is open for business.
Any businesses interested in learning more should contact Rhode Island Commerce Corporation Vice President of Client Services Elizabeth Tanner at elizabeth.tanner@commerceri.com or (401) 278-9195.
About Rhode Island Commerce Corporation
The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation is the full-service, official economic development organization for the state of Rhode Island. A quasi-public agency, the corporation serves as a government and community resource to help streamline the business expansion in, and relocation to, Rhode Island. The agency assists companies with commercial real estate, business financing, workforce training and other relevant issues.
www.commerceri.com
Go Local Go Loyal Lifestyle Launch With The Cranston Chamber
CRANSTON, RI – During it’s August 17th networking event at the Bonefish Grill in Cranston, Steve Boyle, President of the Cranston Chamber will announce the first of it’s kind in Rhode Island, GO LOCAL GO LOYAL LIFESTYLE campaign. This campaign is unique in that it is the first time that a go local campaign is being coordinated with a customer loyalty program.
The Cranston Chamber of Commerce is inviting you to join them in creating a new community. A community of buying local, sharing customers, and creating customer and business loyalties. The Chamber is adopting a “customer loyalty life-style” based on a system perfected by Lyoness, an international buy-local, customer-loyalty program. The Chamber’s goal is to establish a community of buyers and sellers, creating and referring local customers back and forth.
If Rhode Islanders were to shift 10% of their spending from chains to local businesses, it would bring an additional $373 million per year to the state’s economy. Additionally, 57% of every dollar spent at a locally owned business stays in the local economy, compared to just 13.6% spent at a chain store. The figures are ever higher for local restaurants with 65.4% staying locally, while only 34.5% remaining in town when you dine at a chain restaurant.
The Cranston Chamber is a local organization whose main goal is to build and promote the community. They strive to create an atmosphere where the business community can thrive and advance economic and social prosperity. As a big part of this effort, the Chamber will be officially launching their BUY LOCAL LIFESTYLE campaign at the Bonefish Grill at Chapel View at from 5:30 to 7:30 on Monday, August 17th.
If you want to know more about how you can become involved in the “Buy Local Lifestyle” and become and attract loyal customers, contact Steve Boyle, Cranston Chamber President at 401.785.3780. Better yet, come join us on August 17th and help make this effort a resounding success!
