Although employment throughout the state is getting lower every day, office jobs in Rhode Island are being added by the state unemployment office.

The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training recently announced its plan to hire 20 new workers to answer calls from people who have been laid off. Rhode Island currently has an unemployment rate of 9.3 percent and is tied with Michigan as the highest in the country. Because of the high number of unemployed workers, people have been waiting on hold for up to an hour-and-a-half to speak to a claims operator.

The office hopes that adding 20 federally-financed operators will cut down on hold times, according to an article by TMCNews. The office currently employs 30 workers, and the new workers will have to go through training before they can start.

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The relocation of a company could create new office jobs in Rhode Island.

United Natural Foods Inc. recently announced its plans to move its headquarters from Dayville, Connecticut to Providence, Rhode Island in May 2009. The company plans to combine executive and administrative offices by relocating about 150 employees, and will maintain its presence in Connecticut, where its distribution facility is the third-largest on the East Coast and the sixth-largest in the country.

UNFI carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than 17,000 customers throughout America. The company serves many retail formats, including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel.

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