Jobs & Opportunity Index (47th in JOI): Hanging on While the Country Advances

Providence, RI – Like a herd of zombies in The Walking Dead, Rhode Island’s economy keeps staggering in the direction of the national economy’s noisy activity but never quite catches up.  The September edition of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity’s Jobs & Opportunity Index (JOI) report, covering the third quarter of 2019, showed most of the numbers headed in the right direction.  But with the rest of the country running more quickly, the Ocean State just barely held on to its 47th place ranking.

One positive change worth highlighting is that this is the first report since February 2017 that the index was able to report updated numbers for SNAP enrollment.  During that time, problems with the Unified Health Infrastructure Program (UHIP) prevented the state from providing accurate data to the federal government.

“Rhode Island’s governing elite may not trust the economic philosophy that a rising tide lifts all boats, but they should be grateful that it’s true,” said the Center’s research director, Justin Katz. “If the economic policies under the federal government hadn’t improved since 2016, the Ocean State might very well be underwater, at this point.”