For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, October 21, 2014 USDL-14-1963
Technical information:
Employment: (202) 691-6559 • sminfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/sae
Unemployment: (202) 691-6392 • lausinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/lau
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov
REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- SEPTEMBER 2014
Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in September.
Thirty-one states had unemployment rate decreases from August, 8 states had
increases, and 11 states and the District of Columbia 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, five states
had increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate
declined to 5.9 percent from August and was 1.3 percentage points lower than
in September 2013.
In September 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 39 states and the
District of Columbia, decreased in 10 states, and was unchanged in South Dakota.
The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Texas (+36,400),
Illinois (+19,300), and Colorado (+14,600). The largest over-the-month decrease
in employment occurred in California (-9,800), followed by Pennsylvania (-9,600)
and Virginia (-7,400). The largest over-the-month percentage increase in
employment occurred in the District of Columbia (+1.1 percent), followed by
Alaska (+0.9 percent) and West Virginia (+0.8 percent). The largest over-the-
month percentage declines in employment occurred in Indiana, Pennsylvania,
Vermont, and Virginia (-0.2 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment
increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in Alaska
(-0.2 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North
Dakota (+5.1 percent), followed by Texas (+3.7 percent) and Utah (+3.6 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In September, the West continued to have the highest regional unemployment rate,
6.5 percent, while the Midwest had the lowest rate, 5.7 percent. The Northeast
had the only statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate change
(-0.1 percentage point). Significant over-the-year rate decreases occurred in
all four regions: the Midwest and West (-1.4 percentage points each), Northeast
(-1.3 points), and South (-0.7 point). (See table 1.)
Among the nine geographic divisions, the East South Central had the highest
jobless rate, 7.0 percent in September. The West North Central again had the
lowest rate, 4.7 percent. Over the month, the Middle Atlantic and Mountain had
the only statistically significant jobless rate changes (-0.2 percentage point
each). Eight divisions had significant rate changes from a year earlier, all
of which were declines. The largest of these decreases occurred in the East
North Central (-1.9 percentage points) and Middle Atlantic and Pacific (-1.4
points each).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Georgia had the highest unemployment rate among the states in September, 7.9
percent. North Dakota again had the lowest jobless rate, 2.8 percent. In total,
16 states had unemployment rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 5.9
percent, 10 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.)
In September, seven states had statistically significant over-the-month
unemployment rate declines: Colorado and Kentucky (-0.4 percentage point each);
Nevada (-0.3 point); and Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, and New York (-0.2 point
each). Vermont and Massachusetts had the only significant over-the-month rate
increases (+0.3 percentage point and +0.2 point, respectively). The remaining
41 states and the District of Columbia 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.
Twenty-six states had statistically significant unemployment rate changes over
the year, all of which were decreases. The largest of these occurred in Illinois
(-2.5 percentage points) and Nevada (-2.3 points). The remaining 24 states and
the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from
those of a year earlier. (See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In September 2014, 16 states and the District of Columbia had statistically
significant over-the-month changes in employment, all of which were increases.
The largest significant job gains occurred in Texas (+36,400), Illinois (+19,300),
and Colorado (+14,600). (See tables C and 5.)
Over the year, 37 states had statistically significant changes in employment,
all of which were positive. The largest significant over-the-year job increase
occurred in Texas (+413,700), followed by California (+297,000) and Florida
(+205,600). (See table D.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for September
is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for October is
scheduled to be released on Friday, November 21, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., September 2014, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 5.9
|
Arizona .............................| 6.9
California ..........................| 7.3
Colorado ............................| 4.7
District of Columbia ................| 7.7
Georgia .............................| 7.9
Hawaii ..............................| 4.2
Idaho ...............................| 4.5
Iowa ................................| 4.6
Kansas ..............................| 4.8
Michigan ............................| 7.2
|
Minnesota ...........................| 4.1
Mississippi .........................| 7.7
Montana .............................| 4.6
Nebraska ............................| 3.6
Nevada ..............................| 7.3
New Hampshire .......................| 4.3
North Carolina ......................| 6.7
North Dakota ........................| 2.8
Oklahoma ............................| 4.7
Oregon ..............................| 7.1
|
Rhode Island ........................| 7.6
South Dakota ........................| 3.4
Tennessee ...........................| 7.3
Texas ...............................| 5.2
Utah ................................| 3.5
Vermont .............................| 4.4
Wyoming .............................| 4.7
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 Data are not preliminary.
p = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from September 2013 to September 2014, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | September | September | change(p)
| 2013 | 2014(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arkansas .......................| 7.7 | 6.2 | -1.5
California .....................| 8.8 | 7.3 | -1.5
Colorado .......................| 6.6 | 4.7 | -1.9
Connecticut ....................| 7.7 | 6.4 | -1.3
Florida ........................| 6.9 | 6.1 | -.8
Idaho ..........................| 6.0 | 4.5 | -1.5
Illinois .......................| 9.1 | 6.6 | -2.5
Indiana ........................| 7.3 | 5.7 | -1.6
Kentucky .......................| 8.3 | 6.7 | -1.6
Maine ..........................| 6.6 | 5.8 | -.8
| | |
Massachusetts ..................| 7.2 | 6.0 | -1.2
Michigan .......................| 8.8 | 7.2 | -1.6
Minnesota ......................| 4.9 | 4.1 | -.8
Montana ........................| 5.6 | 4.6 | -1.0
Nevada .........................| 9.6 | 7.3 | -2.3
New Hampshire ..................| 5.2 | 4.3 | -.9
New Jersey .....................| 7.9 | 6.5 | -1.4
New York .......................| 7.5 | 6.2 | -1.3
North Carolina .................| 7.7 | 6.7 | -1.0
Ohio ...........................| 7.4 | 5.6 | -1.8
| | |
Pennsylvania ...................| 7.3 | 5.7 | -1.6
Rhode Island ...................| 9.5 | 7.6 | -1.9
Texas ..........................| 6.3 | 5.2 | -1.1
Utah ...........................| 4.3 | 3.5 | -.8
Washington .....................| 6.9 | 5.7 | -1.2
Wisconsin ......................| 6.6 | 5.5 | -1.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant employment changes from
August 2014 to September 2014, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| August | September | Over-the-month
State | 2014 | 2014(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 1,927,800 | 1,939,200 | 11,400
Alaska .......................| 333,100 | 336,000 | 2,900
Colorado .....................| 2,449,900 | 2,464,500 | 14,600
Connecticut ..................| 1,667,700 | 1,679,200 | 11,500
District of Columbia .........| 749,700 | 757,700 | 8,000
Hawaii .......................| 626,300 | 629,000 | 2,700
Idaho ........................| 642,800 | 646,000 | 3,200
Illinois .....................| 5,844,300 | 5,863,600 | 19,300
Massachusetts ................| 3,415,600 | 3,425,000 | 9,400
Mississippi ..................| 1,120,600 | 1,126,600 | 6,000
| | |
New Hampshire ................| 643,100 | 647,900 | 4,800
North Carolina ...............| 4,156,000 | 4,170,000 | 14,000
North Dakota .................| 467,100 | 470,400 | 3,300
South Carolina ...............| 1,933,200 | 1,946,200 | 13,000
Tennessee ....................| 2,809,500 | 2,816,700 | 7,200
Texas ........................| 11,635,800 | 11,672,200 | 36,400
West Virginia ................| 771,400 | 777,400 | 6,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
September 2013 to September 2014, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| September | September | Over-the-year
State | 2013 | 2014(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 1,902,400 | 1,939,200 | 36,800
Arizona ......................| 2,525,600 | 2,577,200 | 51,600
Arkansas .....................| 1,176,300 | 1,194,000 | 17,700
California ...................| 15,233,500 | 15,530,500 | 297,000
Colorado .....................| 2,397,100 | 2,464,500 | 67,400
Connecticut ..................| 1,653,100 | 1,679,200 | 26,100
Delaware .....................| 428,500 | 441,100 | 12,600
Florida ......................| 7,621,600 | 7,827,200 | 205,600
Georgia ......................| 4,051,800 | 4,134,900 | 83,100
Hawaii .......................| 619,300 | 629,000 | 9,700
| | |
Illinois .....................| 5,794,600 | 5,863,600 | 69,000
Indiana ......................| 2,934,400 | 2,994,000 | 59,600
Iowa .........................| 1,534,100 | 1,556,200 | 22,100
Kentucky .....................| 1,842,800 | 1,869,900 | 27,100
Louisiana ....................| 1,954,800 | 1,987,900 | 33,100
Maine ........................| 602,400 | 611,800 | 9,400
Massachusetts ................| 3,360,900 | 3,425,000 | 64,100
Michigan .....................| 4,113,200 | 4,145,900 | 32,700
Minnesota ....................| 2,784,000 | 2,834,700 | 50,700
Mississippi ..................| 1,112,300 | 1,126,600 | 14,300
| | |
Missouri .....................| 2,734,000 | 2,787,700 | 53,700
Montana ......................| 449,800 | 459,500 | 9,700
Nevada .......................| 1,179,700 | 1,217,900 | 38,200
New York .....................| 8,938,900 | 9,052,200 | 113,300
North Carolina ...............| 4,061,500 | 4,170,000 | 108,500
North Dakota .................| 447,600 | 470,400 | 22,800
Oklahoma .....................| 1,636,600 | 1,671,000 | 34,400
Oregon .......................| 1,681,400 | 1,722,600 | 41,200
Pennsylvania .................| 5,747,200 | 5,782,600 | 35,400
South Carolina ...............| 1,903,000 | 1,946,200 | 43,200
| | |
Tennessee ....................| 2,756,000 | 2,816,700 | 60,700
Texas ........................| 11,258,500 | 11,672,200 | 413,700
Utah .........................| 1,294,200 | 1,340,500 | 46,300
Washington ...................| 3,004,500 | 3,068,500 | 64,000
West Virginia ................| 760,900 | 777,400 | 16,500
Wisconsin ....................| 2,824,700 | 2,866,500 | 41,800
Wyoming ......................| 288,900 | 294,800 | 5,900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary
