Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in December, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Twenty-five states had unemployment rate decreases from November, 14 states had increases, and 11 states and the District of Columbia had no change.
Forty-two states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, while eight states had increases. The national jobless rate was unchanged from November at 5.0% and was 0.6 percentage point lower than in December 2014.
In December 2015, non-farm payroll employment increased in 36 states and the District of Columbia, and decreased in 14 states. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+60,400), Texas (+24,900), and Florida (+21,900).
The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred in Illinois (-16,300), Oklahoma (-5,100), and North Dakota (-4,000).
The largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment occurred in Alaska (+0.8%), followed by Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee (+0.7% each).
The largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment occurred in North Dakota (-0.9%), followed by Vermont (-0.7%), and Wyoming (-0.6%).
Over the year, non-farm employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 7 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increases occurred in Idaho
(+4.4%), South Carolina (+3.3%), and Utah (+3.2%).
The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in North Dakota (-4.0%), Wyoming (-2.2%), and West
Virginia (-1.5%).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted) In December, the Midwest had the lowest regional unemployment rate, 4.7%, while the West had the highest rate, 5.4%. Over the month, no region had a statistically significant unemployment rate
change.
Significant over-the-year rate decreases occurred in all four regions: the West (-1.0%), Northeast (-0.8%), Midwest (-0.6%), and South (-0.4%).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the West North Central had the lowest unemployment rate, 3.8% in December. The East South Central had the highest rate, 5.9%. Over the month, no division had a statistically significant unemployment rate change.
Six divisions had significant rate changes from a year earlier, all of which were declines. The largest decreases came in the
Pacific (-1.3%).
See the full report, including tables and charts at
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