McKee's Job Claim Under Scrutiny Amid Modest Post-Pandemic Recovery
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee's administration has touted creating 37,000 jobs under his leadership. However, challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes disputed this claim during a televised debate, stating that most of those jobs were created as the state recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
A fact-check using federal labor market information reveals that both candidates have valid points. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Rhode Island's seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll (jobs count) stood at 514,200 in June 2026, which is 39,700 more jobs than when McKee took office in March 2021.
However, as Foulkes noted, the state lost over 108,700 jobs due to the pandemic. It wasn't until December 2023 that Rhode Island reached its pre-COVID jobs level, becoming the first New England state to do so. The state's current job count is only 0.06% higher than in January 2020, with 7,200 more jobs.
Economics professor Edi Tebaldi from Bryant University suggests that measuring Rhode Island's record is not just about statistics but its performance relative to neighboring states and the rest of the country. On this front, Rhode Island surpassed at least one of its New England neighbors, with a 1.4% increase in total jobs compared to January 2020.
However, labor force participation has declined, and Rhode Island lost a greater share of its jobs than any other New England state in the last year. Tebaldi attributes this to demographic realities, such as an aging population, but notes that state policies can help, particularly tax-friendly environments and infrastructure investments.