Who Is RI's Biggest Employer?

At one time, cars, oil and steel fueled the U.S. economy. But today, retail, hospitals and universities dominate the business landscape.

Most state economies are pretty diverse, with state governments tending to be the largest employers with more than 22 million workers across the country. But for some, just one or two employers play a significantly larger role in the health of the local economy and job force than any other.

In Rhode Island, Lifespan System of Hospitals is the single largest employer, according to a new report by the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St. Lifespan employs 14,000, the report says.

The Ocean State is one of 15 states where the largest employer is a hospital system. In Massachusetts, Partners Healthcare employs about 68,000.

For 42 percent of states, Walmart reigns supreme.

The retail titan is the largest employer in 21 states, including key battleground states such as Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Virginia. With more than 1.5 million American workers, Walmart is by far the country’s largest private employer and it dominates a large swath of the country, particularly the South and Midwest.

In nine states, universities employ the most people. Such is the case in California, where the University of California has nearly 200,000 employees.

The online retail giant Amazon, the second largest employer in the U.S., has more than 560,000 workers in the country.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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