REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- DECEMBER 2013
Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in December.
Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate
decreases from November, two states had increases, and nine states had
no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-two
states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from
a year earlier, six states had increases, and two states had no change.
The national jobless rate declined to 6.7 percent from November and was
1.2 percentage points lower than in December 2012.
In December 2013, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states,
decreased in 19 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged
in Vermont. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred
in Texas (+17,600), Florida (+14,100), and California (+13,600). The
largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in New Jersey
(-36,300), followed by Pennsylvania (-11,400) and Kansas (-7,400). The
largest over-the-month percentage increases in employment occurred in
Alaska and Hawaii (+0.5 percent each). The largest over-the-month
percentage decline in employment occurred in New Jersey (-0.9 percent),
followed by Kansas (-0.5 percent) and Idaho (-0.4 percent). Over the
year, nonfarm employment increased in 49 states and decreased in Alaska
(-0.7 percent) and the District of Columbia (-0.1 percent). The largest
over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.0 percent),
followed by Florida (+2.6 percent) and Oregon (+2.4 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In December, the West continued to have the highest regional unemploy-
ment rate, 7.4 percent, while the South had the lowest rate, 6.4
percent. Over the month, all four regions had statistically significant
unemployment rate declines: the Northeast and South (-0.3 percentage
point each) and Midwest and West (-0.2 point each). Significant declines
also occurred over the year in all regions: the West (-1.2 percentage
points), Northeast (-1.1 points), South (-0.9 point), and Midwest
(-0.5 point). (See table 1.)
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific had the highest jobless
rate, 7.8 percent in December. The West North Central again had the
lowest rate, 4.7 percent. Six divisions had statistically significant
over-the-month unemployment rate changes, all of which were declines.
The largest of these declines occurred in the Middle Atlantic and South
Atlantic (-0.3 percentage point each). Five divisions had significant
rate changes from a year earlier: the Pacific and South Atlantic (-1.4
percentage points each), Middle Atlantic (-1.3 points), Mountain
(-0.8 point), and West North Central (-0.7 point).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Rhode Island had the highest unemployment rate among the states in
December, 9.1 percent. The next highest rates were in Nevada, 8.8
percent, and Illinois, 8.6 percent. North Dakota continued to have the
lowest jobless rate, 2.6 percent. In total, 17 states had jobless rates
significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 6.7 percent, 9 states and
the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 24 states had
rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
(See tables A and 3.)
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia had statistically
significant over-the-month unemployment rate decreases in December,
the largest of which occurred in Louisiana (-0.6 percentage point). The
remaining 29 states had jobless rates that were not measurably different
from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at
least as large numerically as the significant changes. (See table B.)
Twenty-one states had statistically significant unemployment rate
changes from December 2012, all of which were declines. The largest of
these occurred in North Carolina (-2.5 percentage points), followed by
New Jersey (-2.2 points) and South Carolina (-2.0 points).
(See table C.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In December 2013, six states had statistically significant over-the-
month changes in employment, four of which were increases. The
statistically significant job gains occurred in North Carolina
(+11,100), Massachusetts (+10,300), Minnesota (+9,500), and Hawaii
(+3,300). The two statistically significant job decreases occurred
in New Jersey (-36,300) and Kansas (-7,400). (See tables D and 5.)
Over the year, 29 states had statistically significant changes in
employment, all of which were positive. The largest over-the-year
job increase occurred in Texas (+252,400), followed by California
(+235,700) and Florida (+192,900).
