March 15, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Changes in State unemployment rates in 2004

Annual average unemployment rates decreased in 43 States from 2003 to 2004, rose in 4 States and the District of Columbia, and were unchanged in 3 States.

[Chart data—TXT]

The largest rate declines were in Washington (-1.2 percentage points), New Jersey (-1.1 points), and North Carolina (-1.0 point). Twenty-two additional States registered over-the-year rate decreases of at least one-half percentage point. This group included most of the States in the West. 

In 2004, no State had an unemployment rate increase larger than 0.4 percentage point. The District of Columbia's rate rose by 1.0 percentage point.

At the national level, the jobless rate fell by 0.5 percentage point to 5.5 percent between 2003 and 2004.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. To learn more, see State and Regional Unemployment, 2004 Annual Averages Summary (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-385. 

 

Related TED articles:

• States with highest unemployment rate in 2004: Alaska and Oregon
• State with lowest unemployment rate in 2004: Hawaii