For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, December 18, 2015 USDL-15-2394
Technical information:
Employment: (202) 691-6559 • sminfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/sae
Unemployment: (202) 691-6392 • lausinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/lau
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov
REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- NOVEMBER 2015
Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in November. Twenty-seven
states had unemployment rate decreases from October, 11 states had increases, and 12
states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate
decreases from a year earlier, four states had increases, and one state had no change.
The national jobless rate was unchanged from October at 5.0 percent and was 0.8
percentage point lower than in November 2014.
In November 2015, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 35 states and the District
of Columbia, decreased in 14 states, and was unchanged in Montana. The largest over-
the-month increases in employment occurred in Florida (+35,200), Texas (+16,300),
and Virginia (+14,400). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred
in Nevada (-6,700), Wisconsin (-4,800), and Pennsylvania (-3,400). The largest over-
the-month percentage increase in employment occurred in Vermont (+0.9 percent),
followed by Idaho (+0.7 percent) and Delaware (+0.6 percent). The largest over-the-
month percentage decline in employment occurred in Nevada (-0.5 percent), followed by
Wyoming (-0.4 percent) and New Hampshire and North Dakota (-0.3 percent each). Over
the year, nonfarm employment increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia, and
decreased in 5 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increases occurred in
Idaho (+4.2 percent), Utah (+3.6 percent), and Florida (+3.0 percent). The largest
over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in North Dakota (-2.9 percent), West
Virginia (-1.4 percent), and Wyoming (-0.7 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In November, the Midwest had the lowest regional unemployment rate, 4.6 percent,
while the West had the highest rate, 5.4 percent. 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 percentage point), Midwest
and Northeast (-0.8 point each), and South (-0.5 point).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the West North Central had the lowest
unemployment rate, 3.9 percent in November. The East South Central had the highest
rate, 5.7 percent. Over the month, the only statistically significant jobless rate
change occurred in the West South Central (+0.2 percentage point). All divisions
except the Mountain and West South Central had significant rate changes from a year
earlier, all of which were declines. The largest of these decreases occurred in the
Pacific (-1.3 percentage points).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
North Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in November, 2.7 percent, followed by
Nebraska, 2.9 percent. New Mexico had the highest rate, 6.8 percent. In total,
19 states had unemployment rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 5.0
percent, 11 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and
20 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
(See tables A and 3.)
In November, seven states had statistically significant over-the-month unemployment
rate declines: West Virginia (-0.4 percentage point), Missouri and Oregon (-0.3
point each), Minnesota and South Dakota (-0.2 point each), and Iowa and Kansas
(-0.1 point each). Illinois and Texas had the only significant over-the-month rate
increases (+0.3 percentage point and +0.2 point, respectively). The remaining 41
states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not measurably
different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least
as large numerically as the significant changes.
Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia had statistically significant unemployment
rate declines from November 2014, the largest of which occurred in Rhode Island (-1.7
percentage points). The only significant over-the-year rate increase was in New Mexico
(+0.7 percentage point). The remaining 25 states had rates that were not appreciably
different from those of a year earlier. (See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In November 2015, 13 states had statistically significant over-the-month changes in
employment, 12 of which were positive. The largest significant job gains occurred in
Florida (+35,200), Virginia (+14,400), and Arizona (+11,900). The only significant
over-the-month decrease occurred in Nevada (-6,700). (See tables C and 5.)
Over the year, 36 states had statistically significant increases in employment, and North
Dakota (-13,500) and West Virginia (-10,800) had significant decreases. The largest
significant over-the-year job increase occurred in California (+417,100), followed by
Florida (+239,600) and Texas (+179,300). (See table D.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for November 2015 is
scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 30, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The
Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2015 is
scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
__________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data Corrections |
| |
| This news release contains corrections to previously released employment |
| data in tables C, D, 5, and 6. A complete list of corrections in this |
| news release and in the CES (State and Area) database can be found at |
| www.bls.gov/bls/errata/sae_errata.htm. |
|__________________________________________________________________________|
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., November 2015, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 5.0
|
Alabama .............................| 6.0
Alaska ..............................| 6.4
Arizona .............................| 6.0
California ..........................| 5.7
Colorado ............................| 3.6
District of Columbia ................| 6.6
Hawaii ..............................| 3.2
Idaho ...............................| 3.9
Illinois ............................| 5.7
Iowa ................................| 3.4
|
Kansas ..............................| 4.0
Louisiana ...........................| 6.3
Maine ...............................| 4.1
Minnesota ...........................| 3.5
Mississippi .........................| 6.0
Montana .............................| 4.0
Nebraska ............................| 2.9
Nevada ..............................| 6.5
New Hampshire .......................| 3.2
New Mexico ..........................| 6.8
|
North Dakota ........................| 2.7
Oklahoma ............................| 4.2
Oregon ..............................| 5.7
South Dakota ........................| 3.0
Texas ...............................| 4.6
Utah ................................| 3.5
Vermont .............................| 3.7
Virginia ............................| 4.2
West Virginia .......................| 6.5
Wisconsin ...........................| 4.2
Wyoming .............................| 4.1
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 Data are not preliminary.
p = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from November 2014 to November 2015, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | November | November | change(p)
| 2014 | 2015(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arkansas .......................| 5.7 | 5.0 | -0.7
California .....................| 7.2 | 5.7 | -1.5
Colorado .......................| 4.3 | 3.6 | -.7
Connecticut ....................| 6.3 | 5.1 | -1.2
District of Columbia ...........| 7.7 | 6.6 | -1.1
Florida ........................| 5.7 | 5.0 | -.7
Georgia ........................| 6.7 | 5.6 | -1.1
Hawaii .........................| 4.1 | 3.2 | -.9
Idaho ..........................| 4.5 | 3.9 | -.6
Indiana ........................| 5.9 | 4.4 | -1.5
| | |
Iowa ...........................| 4.3 | 3.4 | -.9
Maine ..........................| 5.5 | 4.1 | -1.4
Michigan .......................| 6.5 | 5.1 | -1.4
Mississippi ....................| 7.2 | 6.0 | -1.2
New Hampshire ..................| 4.0 | 3.2 | -.8
New Jersey .....................| 6.3 | 5.3 | -1.0
New Mexico .....................| 6.1 | 6.8 | .7
New York .......................| 5.8 | 4.8 | -1.0
Oregon .........................| 6.8 | 5.7 | -1.1
Rhode Island ...................| 6.9 | 5.2 | -1.7
| | |
South Carolina .................| 6.6 | 5.5 | -1.1
Tennessee ......................| 6.6 | 5.6 | -1.0
Vermont ........................| 4.2 | 3.7 | -.5
Virginia .......................| 4.8 | 4.2 | -.6
Washington .....................| 6.3 | 5.3 | -1.0
Wisconsin ......................| 5.2 | 4.2 | -1.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant employment changes from
October 2015 to November 2015, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| October | November | Over-the-month
State | 2015 | 2015(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 1,956,700 | 1,965,200 | 8,500
Arizona ......................| 2,651,400 | 2,663,300 | 11,900
Delaware .....................| 446,000 | 448,500 | 2,500
Florida ......................| 8,149,600 | 8,184,800 | 35,200
Idaho ........................| 681,900 | 686,700 | 4,800
Iowa .........................| 1,576,300 | 1,584,700 | 8,400
Nevada .......................| 1,266,000 | 1,259,300 | -6,700
New Mexico ...................| 827,900 | 831,800 | 3,900
North Carolina ...............| 4,267,600 | 4,279,000 | 11,400
Oregon .......................| 1,785,400 | 1,795,000 | 9,600
| | |
Vermont ......................| 313,600 | 316,500 | 2,900
Virginia .....................| 3,833,600 | 3,848,000 | 14,400
Washington ...................| 3,192,900 | 3,203,000 | 10,100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
November 2014 to November 2015, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| November | November | Over-the-year
State | 2014 | 2015(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 1,940,600 | 1,965,200 | 24,600
Arizona ......................| 2,598,600 | 2,663,300 | 64,700
Arkansas .....................| 1,199,100 | 1,213,800 | 14,700
California ...................| 15,840,900 | 16,258,000 | 417,100
Colorado .....................| 2,484,200 | 2,528,400 | 44,200
Connecticut ..................| 1,672,900 | 1,699,700 | 26,800
Florida ......................| 7,945,200 | 8,184,800 | 239,600
Georgia ......................| 4,216,200 | 4,309,100 | 92,900
Hawaii .......................| 625,600 | 638,800 | 13,200
Idaho ........................| 659,100 | 686,700 | 27,600
| | |
Illinois .....................| 5,891,500 | 5,927,200 | 35,700
Indiana ......................| 3,005,100 | 3,064,000 | 58,900
Iowa .........................| 1,557,400 | 1,584,700 | 27,300
Kentucky .....................| 1,879,300 | 1,912,500 | 33,200
Maryland .....................| 2,636,300 | 2,689,500 | 53,200
Massachusetts ................| 3,436,800 | 3,513,600 | 76,800
Michigan .....................| 4,207,300 | 4,279,200 | 71,900
Minnesota ....................| 2,830,600 | 2,862,600 | 32,000
Missouri .....................| 2,740,200 | 2,768,800 | 28,600
Nebraska .....................| 996,000 | 1,010,900 | 14,900
| | |
Nevada .......................| 1,228,400 | 1,259,300 | 30,900
New Jersey ...................| 3,982,100 | 4,037,300 | 55,200
New York .....................| 9,134,800 | 9,306,800 | 172,000
North Carolina ...............| 4,187,800 | 4,279,000 | 91,200
North Dakota .................| 469,700 | 456,200 | -13,500
Ohio .........................| 5,361,200 | 5,437,000 | 75,800
Oregon .......................| 1,746,900 | 1,795,000 | 48,100
Pennsylvania .................| 5,816,200 | 5,856,000 | 39,800
Rhode Island .................| 478,700 | 486,700 | 8,000
South Carolina ...............| 1,972,800 | 2,024,900 | 52,100
| | |
South Dakota .................| 423,900 | 434,900 | 11,000
Tennessee ....................| 2,841,100 | 2,889,700 | 48,600
Texas ........................| 11,703,300 | 11,882,600 | 179,300
Utah .........................| 1,344,800 | 1,392,600 | 47,800
Virginia .....................| 3,795,900 | 3,848,000 | 52,100
Washington ...................| 3,113,700 | 3,203,000 | 89,300
West Virginia ................| 761,500 | 750,700 | -10,800
Wisconsin ....................| 2,869,000 | 2,898,900 | 29,900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
