WPRO News and the Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The unemployment rate in Rhode Island in February dropped to 6.3 percent, the lowest rate in more than seven years.

Rhode Island has had one of the worst unemployment rates in the nation for years.

The state Department of Labor and Training said Thursday that the unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a percentage point since January and 2.1 percentage points since February 2014.

But the number of jobs decreased by 2,700, to 479,000 compared with the January estimate. The labor force stood at 549,600, an increase of 600 from the previous month.

In a statement, Governor Gina Raimondo said while the report is encouraging Rhode Island is still down.

“We need to create a friendlier, less burdensome environment for businesses to grow. And we need to make smart and targeted investments in education, workforce training, and in efforts to attract businesses to come invest in Rhode Island,” said Raimondo.

The unemployment rate has not been this low in Rhode Island since January 2008.

The national unemployment rate in February stood at 5.5 percent, eight-tenths of a percentage point lower than in Rhode Island.