Washington County, RI jobs, unemployment and layoffs

Washington County’s unemployment rate is 2.2%. No layoff notices here in the last 12 months. 18 open professional jobs are in its cities.

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Washington County economy

2.2%
unemployment, Sep 2026
2.8% the month before
68,079
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
130,073
people in Washington County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$102,478
median household income
Source: Census ACS
49%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS

Where Washington County ranks

Where Washington County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.

November 2026

#1Fastest-growing job markets in New England+8.3% · of 24
#6Fastest-growing job markets in the Northeast+8.3% · of 100
#8Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in New England49% · of 42
#11Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Northeast2.2% · of 100
#11Counties with the lowest unemployment in New England2.2% · of 42
#13Counties where unemployment fell the most in New England−0.6 points · of 24

Washington County outlook: Building

Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.

Private-sector jobs up 8.3% from 2022 to 2025
Population up 0.0% from 2020 to 2025
Unemployment 2.2%, down 0.6 points from a year ago
Sectors adding the most jobs: manufacturing (+2,146 jobs), hotels & food (+459 jobs)

Local job-market news

Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Washington County. Each link goes to the publisher.

I-95 will close overnight in Cranston this weekend. Here's how to avoid it.The Draft Wire · Oct 14, 2026

Learn and get funded in Washington County

Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.

Washington County layoffs

No layoff notices naming Washington County in the last 12 months are on file. The WARN Act covers employers with 100 or more workers, so smaller layoffs are not in it.

All layoff notices in the state

Employers hiring most in Washington County

Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.

University of Rhode Island6 open roles
Bushnell University3 open roles
Ametek Inc/2 open roles
The University of Rhode Island2 open roles
Confidential1 open role
Isaacson, Miller1 open role
Liberty Personnel Services1 open role
Riverhead Building Supply1 open role
Rogers1 open role
TJX Companies1 open role

Colleges in Washington County

Colleges in Washington County
College	City	Type	Students
University of Rhode Island	Kingston	Public 4-year	10,000–19,999

Workforce development and job centers

The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Washington County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.

Laid off in Rhode Island? How to file for unemployment in Rhode Island (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).

Rhode Island Governor's Workforce Board
Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, Washington

Cities in Washington County

Other Rhode Island counties

All of Rhode Island

Laid off or looking for work in Washington County?

See what to do first and the jobs open near you.

See your options after a layoff

Sources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Rhode Island’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Rhode Island unemployment benefits and severance rules.

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