Article

Regional Unemployment
State Unemployment
Regional Employment-Population Ratios
State Employment-Population Ratios

Among the four regions, the Midwest experienced the largest jobless rate increase from 2002 (+0.4 percentage point), the Northeast and South both recorded smaller increases (+0.2 point each), and the West reported no rate change from the year before. For the 12th consecutive year, the West registered the highest regional unemployment rate, 6.5 percent. The Northeast and South each reported the lowest jobless rate, 5.8 percent, little different from the 5.9 percent rate in the Midwest. The range between the highest and lowest regional rates narrowed from 1.0 percentage point in 2002 to 0.7 point last year, despite generally higher rates.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2003, the New England and West South Central divisions posted the largest annual unemployment rate increases (+0.6 percentage point each), followed by the East North Central and West North Central divisions (+0.4 point each) and the East South Central (+0.3 point). For the 12th year in a row, the Pacific division reported the highest unemployment rate, 6.9 percent. The next highest rate was recorded in the West South Central division, 6.6 percent. The West North Central division, at 5.0 percent, posted the lowest rate for the second consecutive year, followed by the South Atlantic and New England divisions, at 5.2 and 5.4 percent, respectively.

State unemployment rate change between 2002 and 2003.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual average unemployment rates rose in 34 States and the District of Columbia from 2002 to 2003, declined in 11 States, and were unchanged in 5 States. The largest rate increases were in Connecticut and Oklahoma (+1.2 percentage points each), Michigan (+1.1 points), and New Mexico (+1.0 point).

Thirteen additional States and the District of Columbia registered over-the-year rate increases of at least one-half percentage point. All four States in the West South Central division and four of the six States in New England recorded increases of 0.5 percentage point or greater. Arizona reported the largest annual unemployment rate decline from 2002 (-0.6 percentage point), followed closely by Mississippi and Utah (-0.5 point each). The Mountain division had the largest number of States reporting annual average unemployment rate decreases in 2003, as four of its eight States had declines, ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 percentage point. (See Bureau of Labor Statistics table 1)

States in the Pacific division continued to record the highest jobless rates in the nation in 2003: Oregon, 8.2 percent, Alaska, 8.0 percent, and Washington, 7.5 percent. The lowest jobless rates for the year were reported in three West North Central States--South Dakota, 3.6 percent, and Nebraska and North Dakota, 4.0 percent each. Overall, 32 States had unemployment rates below the national average of 6.0 percent, 17 States and the District of Columbia had rates above it, and one State had a rate equal to it. All seven States in the West North Central division and all six in New England posted rates below that of the Nation. In contrast, four of the five Pacific States and three of the four West South Central States recorded rates above the U.S. figure.

Of the nine geographic divisions, the Middle Atlantic, New England, and Pacific registered the largest decreases in their employment-population ratios from 2002 (-0.8 percentage point each). The next largest decrease was in the West North Central division (-0.5 percentage point). The other five divisions had smaller annual average declines. The West North Central division, which in recent years has had high levels of agricultural employment and part-time workers, again recorded the highest employment-population ratio (68.2 percent). The East South Central division continued to have the lowest proportion of employed persons (59.1 percent).

West Virginia continued to have the lowest employment-population ratio among all States in 2003, 51.3 percent, a decline of 1.3 percentage points from the previous year. Louisiana had the next lowest ratio, 56.9 percent. Overall, 8 of the 10 States with employment-population ratios below 60 percent were located in the South. Minnesota continued to report the highest proportion of employed persons, 71.3 percent, despite a decline of 1.1 percentage points from 2002. Two other Midwestern States--Nebraska and South Dakota--registered the next highest ratios, 71.1 percent each, and were the only other States with ratios over 70.0 percent. Thirty States recorded employment-population ratios higher than the U.S. figure of 62.3 percent, while 20 States and the District of Columbia posted lower ratios. All States in the New England and West North Central divisions again had employment-population ratios above that of the Nation, while all States in the Middle Atlantic and East South Central divisions continued to have ratios below it.