The annual average unemployment rate in New England, at 7.1 percent in 2013, was essentially unchanged over the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Nationally the unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage point, to 7.4 percent in 2013. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Deborah A. Brown noted that New England’s unemployment rate was not measurably different than the national average in 2013. The jobless rate in New England has rarely exceeded the U.S. average in the 38 years this data has been collected.  (See chart A.) 

New England is 1 of 9 geographic divisions in the United States. Jobless rates in the divisions ranged from a low of 5.2 percent in the West North Central to a high of 8.4 percent in the Pacific in 2013. Three divisions, the West North Central, West South Central, and Mountain recorded annual average unemployment rates that were significantly lower than that for the nation. Four divisions had rates significantly above the U.S. average--the Middle Atlantic, the East North Central, the East South Central, and the Pacific. (See table 2.)

Six of the nine geographic divisions reported statistically significant over-the-year unemployment rate changes in 2013, all of which were decreases. The largest of these occurred in the Pacific (-1.4 percentage points) followed by the South Atlantic (-1.0 point).

Four of the six states that make up the New England division had jobless rates appreciably different from the U.S. average in 2013. Vermont (4.4 percent), New Hampshire (5.3 percent), and Maine (6.7 percent) had rates significantly lower than that for the nation. These four states were among 25 states in the country to report significantly lower unemployment rates. In contrast, Rhode Island (9.5 percent) posted the highest unemployment rate in New England and was among the highest jobless rates nationwide. Rhode Island was among 11 states and the District of Columbia to report a jobless rate significantly above that for the United States. Massachusetts and Connecticut were among fourteen states that posted unemployment rates that were not measurably different than that for the nation in 2013.  (See table 1.)

Three New England states posted statistically significant jobless rate changes over the year in 2013.  The rate in Rhode Island fell 0.8 percentage point, while Maine and Vermont were down 0.5 point, each. Nationally, 25 states and the District of Columbia posted statistically significant unemployment rate decreases over the year. The largest decrease occurred in Nevada (-1.7 percentage points), while eight additional states posted decreases greater than 1.0 percentage point, including: Florida (-1.6 points), California (-1.5 points), and South Carolina (-1.4 points). Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were among the remaining 25 states having annual average unemployment rates for 2013 that were not appreciably different from those of the previous year.

Technical Note

This release presents labor force and unemployment data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program.  Estimates for the U.S. are obtained directly from the CPS, which is a monthly sample survey of approximately 60,000 households nationwide that is conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the Census Bureau.  All subnational estimates presented in this release were derived from updated time-series models with monthly benchmarking to national Current Population Survey (CPS) estimates.  Subnational data reflect revised population controls and model reestimation.  Historical data were revised back to 2009.  Data for regions, divisions, states, and the District of Columbia are available back to 1977.

The LAUS program produces data for the nine geographic divisions in the United States:  New England, Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, East South Central, West South Central, East North Central, West North Central, Mountain, and Pacific.  Data for all divisions, as well as the 50 states, are available in the Regional and State Unemployment release (www.bls.gov/lau/home.htm#news).  Analysis in this news release reflects the use of model-based error measures when making comparisons with the U.S. and the prior year.  BLS uses a 90-percent confidence level in determining whether changes or differences in subnational unemployment rates are statistically significant.  Model-based error measures are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/lau/lastderr.htm.

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: (202) 691-5200, Federal Relay Services:  1-800-877-8339.

Table 1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population for the U.S., New England, and the New England states, 2012-13 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)

Area	Civilian labor force		Employed		Unemployed		Unemployment rate		Error range of rate, 20131
	2012	2013	2012	2013	2012	2013	2012	2013
United States1	154,975	155,389	142,469	143,929	12,506	11,460	8.1	7.4	7.3 - 7.5
New England	7,721	7,702	7,164	7,157	557	545	7.2	7.1	6.8 - 7.4
Connecticut	1,887	1,860	1,731	1,715	156	145	8.3	7.8	7.3 - 8.3
Maine	707	709	656	662	51	47	7.2	6.7	6.2 - 7.2
Massachusetts	3,470	3,484	3,235	3,238	235	246	6.8	7.1	6.5 - 7.6
New Hampshire	743	742	702	703	41	39	5.5	5.3	4.9 - 5.6
Rhode Island	559	556	501	503	57	53	10.3	9.5	8.8 - 10.2
Vermont	356	351	338	336	17	15	4.9	4.4	4.0 - 4.8

Regions are defined as the four Census regions, comprised as follows: Northeast Region includes the New England Division - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; and the Middle Atlantic Division - New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. South Region includes the South Atlantic Division - Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central Division - Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; and West South Central Division - Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Midwest Region includes the East North Central Division - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; and the West North Central Division - Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. West Region includes the Mountain Division - Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and the Pacific Division - Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by region and division, 2012-13 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)

Census region and division	Civilian labor force		Employed		Unemployed		Unemployment rate		Error range of rate, 20131
	2012	2013	2012	2013	2012	2013	2012	2013
Northeast	28,370	28,336	26,060	26,203	2,310	2,133	8.1	7.5	7.3 - 7.7
New England	7,721	7,702	7,164	7,157	557	545	7.2	7.1	6.8 - 7.4
Middle Atlantic	20,649	20,634	18,896	19,047	1,753	1,587	8.5	7.7	7.4 - 7.9
South	56,480	56,677	52,117	52,698	4,363	3,979	7.7	7	6.9 - 7.2
South Atlantic	29,989	30,054	27,521	27,887	2,467	2,167	8.2	7.2	7.0 - 7.4
East South Central	8,647	8,561	7,948	7,889	700	672	8.1	7.8	7.4 - 8.3
West South Central	17,844	18,063	16,648	16,922	1,196	1,140	6.7	6.3	6.1 - 6.6
Midwest	34,180	34,302	31,654	31,844	2,526	2,458	7.4	7.2	7.0 - 7.4
East North Central	23,212	23,282	21,305	21,398	1,908	1,884	8.2	8.1	7.8 - 8.4
West North Central	10,968	11,021	10,350	10,446	618	575	5.6	5.2	5.0 - 5.4

¹ Error ranges are shown at the 90-percent confidence level and are based on unrounded data. Note: Data for subnational areas reflect revised population controls and model reestimation. As a result, they will not add to U.S. totals. Unemployment rates are in percent and are based on unrounded levels.