March 05, 2008 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

2006-07 changes in State unemployment rates

Ten States recorded statistically significant changes in their annual average unemployment rates from 2006 to 2007—five States registered rate decreases and five had rate increases.

Change in annual average unemployment rate, selected States and U.S., 2006-07
[Chart data—TXT]

New Mexico and Texas posted the largest over-the-year jobless rate declines (-0.8 and -0.6 percentage point, respectively), while Florida, Minnesota, and Nevada reported the largest rate increases (+0.6 percentage point each). 

Forty States and the District of Columbia recorded annual average unemployment rates for 2007 that were not appreciably different from those of the previous year, even though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the statistically significant changes.

The annual average unemployment rate for the United States was unchanged between 2006 and 2007.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. To learn more, see "Regional and State Unemployment, 2007 Annual Averages," news release USDL 08-0262.

 

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