Rhode Island's unemployment rate rose from 10.5% in November to 10.8% in December. 1600 people joined the ranks of the unemployed, bringing the total to almost 61,000.

Laura Hart, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Labor and Training, offers this reason for the uptick.

"What happened this month is employment stayed the same but more people started looking for work," Hart explains. "That means more discouraged workers re-enacted their job search. That's why the unemployment rate went up."

The retail trade sector reported a loss of 1000 jobs in December as stores hired fewer seasonal workers than in previous holiday seasons. The construction sector lost 500 jobs. The hospitality industry added 600 jobs while the manufacturing sector grew by 400.

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