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State employment and unemployment, November 2012

December 31, 2012

From November 2011 to November 2012, nonfarm employment increased in 45 states and decreased in 5 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.7 percent); the largest decrease occurred in West Virginia (−1.8 percent).

Over the year, 29 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment; only West Virginia’s employment decreased (−1.8 percent, or −13,800). Among those states, North Dakota recorded the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (+4.7 percent, or +18,800), followed by Utah (+3.1 percent, or +38,200) and Hawaii (+3.0 percent, or +17,700).

States with statistically significant employment changes, seasonally adjusted, November 2011-November 2012
States with statistically significant employment changes, seasonally adjusted, November 2011–November 2012
StatePercent change in nonfarm employment
from November 2011 to November 2012(p)
Statistical significance

Alabama

0.8Not statistically significant change

Alaska

-0.3Not statistically significant change

Arizona

2.5Statistically significant, increase

Arkansas

1.0Not statistically significant change

California

1.9Statistically significant, increase

Colorado

2.3Statistically significant, increase

Connecticut

0.1Not statistically significant change

Delaware

0.2Not statistically significant change

District of Columbia

-0.4Not statistically significant change

Florida

1.1Statistically significant, increase

Georgia

1.7Statistically significant, increase

Hawaii

3.0Statistically significant, increase

Idaho

2.1Statistically significant, increase

Illinois

0.9Statistically significant, increase

Indiana

2.1Statistically significant, increase

Iowa

0.8Not statistically significant change

Kansas

0.4Not statistically significant change

Kentucky

2.1Statistically significant, increase

Louisiana

2.1Statistically significant, increase

Maine

0.1Not statistically significant change

Maryland

0.6Not statistically significant change

Massachusetts

1.5Statistically significant, increase

Michigan

0.8Statistically significant, increase

Minnesota

1.9Statistically significant, increase

Mississippi

0.1Not statistically significant change

Missouri

0.7Not statistically significant change

Montana

2.2Statistically significant, increase

Nebraska

0.7Not statistically significant change

Nevada

1.2Not statistically significant change

New Hampshire

-0.3Not statistically significant change

New Jersey

0.6Not statistically significant change

New Mexico

-0.7Not statistically significant change

New York

1.0Statistically significant, increase

North Carolina

1.5Statistically significant, increase

North Dakota

4.7Statistically significant, increase

Ohio

2.0Statistically significant, increase

Oklahoma

2.4Statistically significant, increase

Oregon

1.2Statistically significant, increase

Pennsylvania

0.8Statistically significant, increase

Rhode Island

-0.5Not statistically significant change

South Carolina

1.9Statistically significant, increase

South Dakota

0.7Not statistically significant change

Tennessee

1.0Statistically significant, increase

Texas

2.6Statistically significant, increase

Utah

3.1Statistically significant, increase

Vermont

0.9Not statistically significant change

Virginia

1.3Statistically significant, increase

Washington

1.7Statistically significant, increase

West Virginia

-1.8Statistically significant, decrease

Wisconsin

0.5Not statistically significant change

Wyoming

0.5Not statistically significant change

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
 

In November 2012, twenty-five states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 7.7 percent, 9 states had measurably higher rates, and 16 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Unemployment rates by state, seasonally adjusted, November 2012 (U.S. rate = 7.7 percent)
Unemployment rates by state, seasonally adjusted, November 2012 (U.S. rate = 7.7 percent)
StateUnemployment rate (p)Difference from U.S. rate

Alabama

7.5Not statistically different

Alaska

6.8Statistically significant, below

Arizona

7.8Not statistically different

Arkansas

7.0Not statistically different

California

9.8Statistically significant, above

Colorado

7.7Not statistically different

Connecticut

8.8Statistically significant, above

Delaware

6.7Statistically significant, below

District of Columbia

8.4Not statistically different

Florida

8.1Not statistically different

Georgia

8.5Statistically significant, above

Hawaii

5.3Statistically significant, below

Idaho

6.8Statistically significant, below

Illinois

8.7Statistically significant, above

Indiana

8.0Not statistically different

Iowa

4.9Statistically significant, below

Kansas

5.4Statistically significant, below

Kentucky

8.2Not statistically different

Louisiana

5.8Statistically significant, below

Maine

7.2Not statistically different

Maryland

6.6Statistically significant, below

Massachusetts

6.6Statistically significant, below

Michigan

8.9Statistically significant, above

Minnesota

5.7Statistically significant, below

Mississippi

8.5Not statistically different

Missouri

6.7Statistically significant, below

Montana

5.8Statistically significant, below

Nebraska

3.7Statistically significant, below

Nevada

10.8Statistically significant, above

New Hampshire

5.6Statistically significant, below

New Jersey

9.6Statistically significant, above

New Mexico

6.2Statistically significant, below

New York

8.3Not statistically different

North Carolina

9.1Statistically significant, above

North Dakota

3.1Statistically significant, below

Ohio

6.8Statistically significant, below

Oklahoma

5.2Statistically significant, below

Oregon

8.4Not statistically different

Pennsylvania

7.8Not statistically different

Rhode Island

10.4Statistically significant, above

South Carolina

8.3Not statistically different

South Dakota

4.4Statistically significant, below

Tennessee

7.6Not statistically different

Texas

6.2Statistically significant, below

Utah

5.1Statistically significant, below

Vermont

5.2Statistically significant, below

Virginia

5.6Statistically significant, below

Washington

7.8Not statistically different

West Virginia

7.3Not statistically different

Wisconsin

6.7Statistically significant, below

Wyoming

5.1Statistically significant, below

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
 

Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 10.8 percent in November 2012, followed by Rhode Island at 10.4 percent. North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.1 percent.

From November 2011 to November 2012, twenty-two states and the District of Columbia reported statistically significant unemployment rate changes, all of which were declines. The largest of these occurred in Nevada (−2.4 percentage points), followed by Mississippi (−2.1 points) and Florida (−2.0 points).

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) and Local Area Unemployment Statistics programs. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — November 2012" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-12-2462.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, State employment and unemployment, November 2012 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2012/ted_20121231.htm (visited March 19, 2024).

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