With the help of a revision in the way the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates its results, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate fell below the 10% barrier in December for the first time in years. And with the help of people giving up their quest for work, it notched down to 9.8% in January.  That’s despite the fact that the state’s total employment fell for the first time since September 2011 (according to the revised numbers).

The first chart below ...

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate renewed its incremental decline, to 10.2% in December, although the rate of its employment increase continued at the more-moderated results seen in November. In the two months prior to the election, Rhode Island’s employment growth was unusually strong.

The first chart below shows that both labor force and employment continued to move upward in December. The second chart shows that the Ocean State still has a long way to go to reach its January 2007 level of ...