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State employment and unemployment, April 2013

May 21, 2013

From April 2012 to April 2013, nonfarm employment increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 3 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+3.7 percent) and Utah (+3.5 percent); the largest decreases occurred in Wyoming (−0.5 percent) and Maine (−0.3 percent). Nevada had the highest unemployment rate among the states, 9.6 percent in April 2013, followed by Illinois (9.3 percent), Mississippi (9.1 percent) and California (9.0 percent). North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.3 percent.

Over the year, 28 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment; all of which were positive. Among those states, North Dakota recorded the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (+3.7 percent), followed by Utah (+3.5 percent) and Texas (+3.0 percent).

States with statistically significant employment changes, seasonally adjusted, April 2012-April 2013
States with statistically significant employment changes, seasonally adjusted, April 2012–April 2013
StatePercent change in nonfarm employment
from April 2012 to April 2013(p)
Statistical significance

Alabama

0.3Not statistically significant change

Alaska

0.1Not statistically significant change

Arizona

1.7Statistically significant, increase

Arkansas

0.8Not statistically significant change

California

1.9Statistically significant, increase

Colorado

2.7Statistically significant, increase

Connecticut

0.7Not statistically significant change

Delaware

1.6Statistically significant, increase

District of Columbia

0.4Not statistically significant change

Florida

1.6Statistically significant, increase

Georgia

1.7Statistically significant, increase

Hawaii

0.8Not statistically significant change

Idaho

2.5Statistically significant, increase

Illinois

0.7Statistically significant, increase

Indiana

1.2Statistically significant, increase

Iowa

0.8Not statistically significant change

Kansas

0.8Not statistically significant change

Kentucky

0.8Not statistically significant change

Louisiana

0.8Not statistically significant change

Maine

-0.3Not statistically significant change

Maryland

1.3Statistically significant, increase

Massachusetts

1.4Statistically significant, increase

Michigan

0.8Statistically significant, increase

Minnesota

0.8Not statistically significant change

Mississippi

1.5Statistically significant, increase

Missouri

1.0Statistically significant, increase

Montana

1.3Not statistically significant change

Nebraska

0.2Not statistically significant change

Nevada

2.0Statistically significant, increase

New Hampshire

1.0Not statistically significant change

New Jersey

1.8Statistically significant, increase

New Mexico

0.7Not statistically significant change

New York

1.3Statistically significant, increase

North Carolina

1.8Statistically significant, increase

North Dakota

3.7Statistically significant, increase

Ohio

0.1Not statistically significant change

Oklahoma

1.2Statistically significant, increase

Oregon

1.5Statistically significant, increase

Pennsylvania

0.4Not statistically significant change

Rhode Island

0.6Not statistically significant change

South Carolina

1.3Statistically significant, increase

South Dakota

0.9Not statistically significant change

Tennessee

1.8Statistically significant, increase

Texas

3.0Statistically significant, increase

Utah

3.5Statistically significant, increase

Vermont

1.7Statistically significant, increase

Virginia

1.0Statistically significant, increase

Washington

2.0Statistically significant, increase

West Virginia

0.3Not statistically significant change

Wisconsin

-0.2Not statistically significant change

Wyoming

-0.5Not statistically significant change

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
 

Washington, 2.0%Oregon, 1.5%California, 1.9%Idaho, 2.5%Nevada, 2.0%Montana, 1.3%Wyoming, -0.5%Utah, 3.5%Arizona, 1.7%Colorado, 2.7%New Mexico, 0.7%North Dakota, 3.7%South Dakota, 0.9%Nebraska, 0.2%Kansas, 0.8%Oklahoma, 1.2%Texas, 3.0%Louisiana, 0.8%Arkansas, 0.8%Missouri, 1.0%Iowa, 0.8%Minnesota, 0.8%Alaska, 0.1%Hawaii, 0.8%Kentucky, 0.8%Tennessee, 1.8%Mississippi, 1.5%Alabama, 0.3%Florida, 1.6%Georgia, 1.7%South Carolina, 1.3%North Carolina, 1.8%Virginia, 1.0%District of Columbia, 0.4%West Virginia, 0.3%Maryland, 1.3%Delaware, 1.6%Wisconsin, -0.2%Illinois, 0.7%Michigan, 0.8%Indiana, 1.2%Ohio, 0.1%Pennsylvania, 0.4%New Jersey, 1.8%New York, 1.3%Connecticut, 0.7%Rhode Island, 0.6%Massachusetts, 1.4%Vermont, 1.7%New Hampshire, 1.0%Maine, -0.3%

 

In April 2013, nineteen states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 7.5 percent, 8 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 23 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Unemployment rates by state, seasonally adjusted, April 2013 (U.S. rate = 7.5 percent)
Unemployment rates by state, seasonally adjusted, April 2013 (U.S. rate = 7.5 percent)
StateUnemployment rate (p)Difference from U.S. rate

Alabama

6.9Not statistically different

Alaska

6.0Statistically significant, below

Arizona

7.9Not statistically different

Arkansas

7.1Not statistically different

California

9.0Statistically significant, above

Colorado

6.9Not statistically different

Connecticut

8.0Not statistically different

Delaware

7.2Not statistically different

District of Columbia

8.5Statistically significant, above

Florida

7.2Not statistically different

Georgia

8.2Not statistically different

Hawaii

4.9Statistically significant, below

Idaho

6.1Statistically significant, below

Illinois

9.3Statistically significant, above

Indiana

8.5Statistically significant, above

Iowa

4.7Statistically significant, below

Kansas

5.5Statistically significant, below

Kentucky

7.9Not statistically different

Louisiana

6.5Not statistically different

Maine

6.9Not statistically different

Maryland

6.5Statistically significant, below

Massachusetts

6.4Statistically significant, below

Michigan

8.4Not statistically different

Minnesota

5.3Statistically significant, below

Mississippi

9.1Statistically significant, above

Missouri

6.6Not statistically different

Montana

5.5Statistically significant, below

Nebraska

3.7Statistically significant, below

Nevada

9.6Statistically significant, above

New Hampshire

5.5Statistically significant, below

New Jersey

8.7Statistically significant, above

New Mexico

6.7Not statistically different

New York

7.8Not statistically different

North Carolina

8.9Statistically significant, above

North Dakota

3.3Statistically significant, below

Ohio

7.0Not statistically different

Oklahoma

4.9Statistically significant, below

Oregon

8.0Not statistically different

Pennsylvania

7.6Not statistically different

Rhode Island

8.8Statistically significant, above

South Carolina

8.0Not statistically different

South Dakota

4.1Statistically significant, below

Tennessee

8.0Not statistically different

Texas

6.4Statistically significant, below

Utah

4.7Statistically significant, below

Vermont

4.0Statistically significant, below

Virginia

5.2Statistically significant, below

Washington

7.0Not statistically different

West Virginia

6.6Not statistically different

Wisconsin

7.1Not statistically different

Wyoming

4.8Statistically significant, below

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
 

Washington, 7.8%Oregon, 8.4%California, 9.8%Idaho, 6.8%Nevada, 10.8%Montana, 5.8%Wyoming, 5.1%Utah, 5.1%Arizona, 7.8%Colorado, 7.7%New Mexico, 6.2%North Dakota, 3.1%South Dakota, 4.4%Nebraska, 3.7%Kansas, 5.4%Oklahoma, 5.2%Texas, 6.2%Louisiana, 5.8%Arkansas, 7.0%Missouri, 6.7%Iowa, 4.9%Minnesota, 5.7%Alaska, 6.8%Hawaii, 5.3%Kentucky, 8.2%Tennessee, 7.6%Mississippi, 8.5%Alabama, 7.5%Florida, 8.1%Georgia, 8.5%South Carolina, 8.3%North Carolina, 9.1%Virginia, 5.6%District of Columbia, 8.4%West Virginia, 7.3%Maryland, 6.6%Delaware, 6.7%Wisconsin, 6.7%Illinois, 8.7%Michigan, 8.9%Indiana, 8.0%Ohio, 6.8%Pennsylvania, 7.8%New Jersey, 9.6%New York, 8.3%Connecticut, 8.8%Rhode Island, 10.4%Massachusetts, 6.6%Vermont, 5.2%New Hampshire, 5.6%Maine, 7.2%

 

From April 2012 to April 2013, fifteen states reported statistically significant unemployment rate changes, all of which were declines. The largest of these occurred in Nevada (−1.9 percentage points), followed by Rhode Island (−1.8 points) and California and Florida (−1.7 points each).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to have the highest jobless rate, 8.5 percent in April. The West North Central again had the lowest rate, 5.4 percent. Three divisions had significant unemployment rate changes from a year earlier: the Pacific (−1.6 percentage points) and the Mountain and South Atlantic (−0.9 point each).

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 — April 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑13‑0931.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, State employment and unemployment, April 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20130521.htm (visited March 19, 2024).

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