R.I. unemployment rate falls to 8.8 percent in April

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island's unemployment rate dropped again, to 8.8 percent in April, and the state gained 500 jobs since March, according to figures released Thursday by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

But the size of the state's labor force declined as well, to 558,200 people in April, for the fourth month in a row.

The number of jobs here in Rhode Island was 467,400 for April, just 2,700 more jobs than a year ago -- an increase of less than 1 percent.