
Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in February. Twenty-nine states recorded unemployment rate decreases, 8 states posted
rate increases, and 13 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-nine states and
the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, while only one state experienced an increase. The national
jobless rate was unchanged from January at 8.3 percent but was 0.7 percentage point lower than in February 2011.
In February, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 8 states. The largest over-the-month
increase in employment occurred in Ohio (+28,300), followed by Texas (+27,900) and New York (+24,700). The largest over-the-month decrease
in employment occurred in Nevada (-12,800), followed by Georgia (-8,300), Oregon (-6,400), and Kansas (-5,700). North Dakota experienced the largest
over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+1.3 percent), followed by Alaska and Wyoming (+0.7 percent each). Nevada experienced the largest
over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-1.1 percent), followed by New Hampshire (-0.6 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased
in 43 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 7 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota
(+6.8 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Wisconsin (-0.6 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
The West continued to record the highest regional unemployment rate in February, 9.6 percent, while the Midwest again reported the lowest
rate, 7.5 percent. Over the month, the Midwest and South experienced statistically significant unemployment rate changes (-0.2 percentage
point each). Over the year, the West registered the largest of three measurable rate changes (-1.0 percentage point), followed by the Midwest
and South (-0.9 point each). (See table 1.)
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 10.2 percent in February. The West North Central
again registered the lowest rate, 5.9 percent. Two divisions experienced statistically significant unemployment rate changes over the month:
the East North Central (-0.2 percentage point) and South Atlantic (-0.1 point). Eight divisions had measurable unemployment rate declines
from a year earlier, the largest of which occurred in the East South Central (-1.4 percentage points). No division recorded an unemployment rate
increase from February 2011.
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.3 percent in February. Rhode Island and California posted the next
highest rates, 11.0 and 10.9 percent, respectively. North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.1 percent, followed by Nebraska,
4.0 percent. In total, 23 states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 8.3 percent, 6 states and the District
of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 21 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
(See tables A and 3.)
Mississippi and Nevada experienced the largest over-the-month unemployment rate declines in February (-0.5 and -0.4 percentage
point, respectively). Five other states also had statistically significant rate decreases: Illinois, Indiana, Montana, and North
Carolina (-0.3 percentage point each) and Florida (-0.2 point). The only significant rate increase was recorded in New York (+0.2 percentage
point). The remaining 42 states and the District of Columbia recorded 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.
Michigan registered the largest jobless rate decrease from February 2011 (-1.9 percentage points), followed by Alabama (-1.7 points). Nineteen
additional states reported smaller but also statistically significant declines over the year. The remaining 29 states and the District of
Columbia recorded unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier. (See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In February, 17 states recorded statistically significant over-the-month changes in employment, 13 of which were increases. The largest statistically
significant job gains occurred in Ohio (+28,300), Texas (+27,900), and New York (+24,700). The largest statistically significant decline in
employment occurred in Nevada (-12,800), followed by Oregon (-6,400) and Kansas (-5,700). (See tables C and 5.)
Over the year, 28 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in
Texas (+273,900), followed by New York (+141,300) and California (+127,300). (See table D.)
______________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for February is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at
10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for March is scheduled to be released on Friday, April
20, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., February 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 8.3
|
Alaska ..............................| 7.1
California ..........................| 10.9
Delaware ............................| 7.0
District of Columbia ................| 9.9
Florida .............................| 9.4
Georgia .............................| 9.1
Hawaii ..............................| 6.4
Iowa ................................| 5.3
Kansas ..............................| 6.1
Louisiana ...........................| 7.0
|
Maine ...............................| 7.1
Maryland ............................| 6.5
Massachusetts .......................| 6.9
Minnesota ...........................| 5.7
Montana .............................| 6.2
Nebraska ............................| 4.0
Nevada ..............................| 12.3
New Hampshire .......................| 5.2
North Carolina ......................| 9.9
North Dakota ........................| 3.1
|
Oklahoma ............................| 6.0
Pennsylvania ........................| 7.6
Rhode Island ........................| 11.0
South Dakota ........................| 4.3
Texas ...............................| 7.1
Utah ................................| 5.7
Vermont .............................| 4.9
Virginia ............................| 5.7
Wisconsin ...........................| 6.9
Wyoming .............................| 5.4
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 Data are not preliminary.
p = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from February 2011 to February 2012, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | February | February | change(p)
| 2011 | 2012(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 9.3 | 7.6 | -1.7
California .....................| 12.0 | 10.9 | -1.1
Connecticut ....................| 9.2 | 7.8 | -1.4
Florida ........................| 10.8 | 9.4 | -1.4
Georgia ........................| 9.9 | 9.1 | -.8
Kansas .........................| 6.9 | 6.1 | -.8
Kentucky .......................| 9.8 | 8.7 | -1.1
Maine ..........................| 7.9 | 7.1 | -.8
Michigan .......................| 10.7 | 8.8 | -1.9
Minnesota ......................| 6.7 | 5.7 | -1.0
| | |
Missouri .......................| 8.9 | 7.4 | -1.5
Nevada .........................| 13.6 | 12.3 | -1.3
Ohio ...........................| 8.9 | 7.6 | -1.3
South Carolina .................| 10.5 | 9.1 | -1.4
South Dakota ...................| 5.0 | 4.3 | -.7
Tennessee ......................| 9.5 | 8.0 | -1.5
Texas ..........................| 8.0 | 7.1 | -.9
Utah ...........................| 7.3 | 5.7 | -1.6
Vermont ........................| 5.9 | 4.9 | -1.0
Washington .....................| 9.5 | 8.2 | -1.3
Wisconsin ......................| 7.6 | 6.9 | -.7
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant employment changes from
January 2012 to February 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| January | February | Over-the-month
State | 2012 | 2012(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska........................| 328,600 | 330,800 | 2,200
Arizona.......................| 2,427,900 | 2,436,900 | 9,000
Delaware......................| 418,200 | 420,300 | 2,100
Iowa..........................| 1,484,800 | 1,493,500 | 8,700
Kansas........................| 1,356,000 | 1,350,300 | -5,700
Kentucky......................| 1,813,400 | 1,821,400 | 8,000
Massachusetts.................| 3,225,700 | 3,234,800 | 9,100
Nevada........................| 1,133,500 | 1,120,700 | -12,800
New Hampshire.................| 632,400 | 628,900 | -3,500
New York......................| 8,758,700 | 8,783,400 | 24,700
| | |
North Dakota..................| 407,700 | 412,800 | 5,100
Ohio..........................| 5,119,300 | 5,147,600 | 28,300
Oregon........................| 1,623,200 | 1,616,800 | -6,400
Pennsylvania..................| 5,700,900 | 5,717,600 | 16,700
South Carolina................| 1,845,800 | 1,854,100 | 8,300
Texas.........................| 10,710,900 | 10,738,800 | 27,900
Wyoming.......................| 286,700 | 288,700 | 2,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
February 2011 to February 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| February | February | Over-the-year
State | 2011 | 2012(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona.......................| 2,396,300 | 2,436,900 | 40,600
California....................| 14,057,200 | 14,184,500 | 127,300
Colorado......................| 2,240,100 | 2,288,900 | 48,800
Florida.......................| 7,235,600 | 7,307,900 | 72,300
Georgia.......................| 3,869,900 | 3,905,100 | 35,200
Indiana.......................| 2,824,300 | 2,862,100 | 37,800
Iowa..........................| 1,476,300 | 1,493,500 | 17,200
Kansas........................| 1,332,000 | 1,350,300 | 18,300
Kentucky......................| 1,786,800 | 1,821,400 | 34,600
Louisiana.....................| 1,906,100 | 1,947,200 | 41,100
| | |
Maryland......................| 2,538,100 | 2,585,100 | 47,000
Massachusetts.................| 3,207,700 | 3,234,800 | 27,100
Michigan......................| 3,911,800 | 3,980,600 | 68,800
Minnesota.....................| 2,669,800 | 2,705,300 | 35,500
New Jersey....................| 3,841,500 | 3,892,100 | 50,600
New York......................| 8,642,100 | 8,783,400 | 141,300
North Carolina................| 3,915,400 | 3,962,400 | 47,000
North Dakota..................| 386,600 | 412,800 | 26,200
Ohio..........................| 5,074,100 | 5,147,600 | 73,500
Oklahoma......................| 1,532,100 | 1,574,700 | 42,600
| | |
Pennsylvania..................| 5,677,600 | 5,717,600 | 40,000
South Carolina................| 1,826,500 | 1,854,100 | 27,600
Tennessee.....................| 2,642,100 | 2,692,200 | 50,100
Texas.........................| 10,464,900 | 10,738,800 | 273,900
Utah..........................| 1,194,200 | 1,226,700 | 32,500
Virginia......................| 3,672,200 | 3,709,600 | 37,400
Washington....................| 2,807,300 | 2,844,500 | 37,200
West Virginia.................| 749,800 | 762,600 | 12,800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
- Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Technical Note
- Table 1. Civilian labor force and unemployment by census region and division, seasonally adjusted
- Table 2. Civilian labor force and unemployment by census region and division, not seasonally adjusted
- Table 3. Civilian labor force and unemployment by state and selected area, seasonally adjusted
- Table 4. Civilian labor force and unemployment by state and selected area, not seasonally adjusted
- Table 5. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by state and selected industry sector, seasonally adjusted
- Table 6. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by state and selected industry sector, not seasonally adjusted
- HTML version of the entire news release




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