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Florida has largest over-the-year decrease in unemployment rate, August 2013

September 24, 2013

From August 2012 to August 2013, thirty-six states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases, 12 states had increases, and 2 states had no change. Fourteen states had statistically significant unemployment rate changes from August 2012, all of which were declines. The largest of these occurred in Florida (-1.6 percentage points).

Percentage change in unemployment rates by state, seasonally adjusted,  August 2012-August 2013
Unemployment rate changes by state, seasonally adjusted, August 2012-August 2013
StatePercentage point change in unemployment rate
from August 2012 to August 2013(p)
Statistical significance

Alabama

-1.2Statistically significant change

Alaska

-0.5Not statistically significant change

Arizona

0.0Not statistically significant change

Arkansas

0.1Not statistically significant change

California

-1.5Statistically significant change

Colorado

-1.0Statistically significant change

Connecticut

-0.5Not statistically significant change

Delaware

0.1Not statistically significant change

District of Columbia

-0.2Not statistically significant change

Florida

-1.6Statistically significant change

Georgia

-0.3Not statistically significant change

Hawaii

-1.4Statistically significant change

Idaho

-0.2Not statistically significant change

Illinois

0.3Not statistically significant change

Indiana

-0.3Not statistically significant change

Iowa

-0.4Not statistically significant change

Kansas

0.1Not statistically significant change

Kentucky

0.1Not statistically significant change

Louisiana

0.6Not statistically significant change

Maine

-0.3Not statistically significant change

Maryland

0.1Not statistically significant change

Massachusetts

0.4Not statistically significant change

Michigan

-0.3Not statistically significant change

Minnesota

-0.6Not statistically significant change

Mississippi

-0.8Not statistically significant change

Missouri

0.2Not statistically significant change

Montana

-0.7Not statistically significant change

Nebraska

0.2Not statistically significant change

Nevada

-1.5Statistically significant change

New Hampshire

-0.7Not statistically significant change

New Jersey

-1.2Statistically significant change

New Mexico

-0.2Not statistically significant change

New York

-1.0Statistically significant change

North Carolina

-0.9Statistically significant change

North Dakota

-0.2Not statistically significant change

Ohio

0.1Not statistically significant change

Oklahoma

0.0Not statistically significant change

Oregon

-0.7Not statistically significant change

Pennsylvania

-0.4Not statistically significant change

Rhode Island

-1.3Statistically significant change

South Carolina

-1.0Not statistically significant change

South Dakota

-0.7Statistically significant change

Tennessee

0.4Not statistically significant change

Texas

-0.4Not statistically significant change

Utah

-1.0Statistically significant change

Vermont

-0.6Statistically significant, increase

Virginia

-0.1Not statistically significant change

Washington

-1.2Statistically significant change

West Virginia

-1.3Not statistically significant change

Wisconsin

-0.3Statistically significant change

Wyoming

-0.8Not statistically significant change

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
 

Washington, -1.2 pointsOregon, -0.7 pointsCalifornia, -1.5 pointsIdaho, -0.2 pointNevada, -1.5 pointsMontana, -0.7 pointWyoming, -0.8 pointUtah, -1.0 pointsArizona, 0.0 pointColorado, -1.0 pointsNew Mexico, -0.2 pointNorth Dakota, -0.2 pointSouth Dakota, -0.7 pointNebraska, 0.2 pointKansas, 0.1 pointOklahoma, 0.0 pointTexas, -0.4 pointLouisiana, 0.6 pointArkansas, 0.1 pointMissouri, 0.2 pointIowa, -0.4 pointMinnesota, -0.6 pointAlaska, -0.5 pointHawaii, -1.4 pointsKentucky, 0.1 pointTennessee, 0.4 pointMississippi, -0.8 pointAlabama, -1.2 pointsFlorida, -1.6 pointsGeorgia, -0.3 pointSouth Carolina, -1.0 pointsNorth Carolina, -0.9 pointVirginia, -0.1 pointDistrict of Columbia, -0.2 pointWest Virginia, -1.3 pointsMaryland, 0.2 pointDelaware, 0.1 pointWisconsin, -0.3 pointIllinois, 0.3 pointMichigan, -0.3 pointIndiana, -0.3 pointOhio, 0.1 pointPennsylvania, -0.4 pointNew Jersey, -1.2 pointsNew York, -1.0 pointsConnecticut, -0.5 pointRhode Island, -1.3 pointsMassachusetts, 0.4 pointVermont, -0.6 pointNew Hampshire, -0.7 pointMaine, -0.3 point

 

Nevada had the highest unemployment rate among the states in August 2013, 9.5 percent. The next highest rate was in Illinois, 9.2 percent. North Dakota continued to have the lowest jobless rate, 3.0 percent. In total, 15 states had jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 7.3 percent, 11 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 24 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

In August 2013, two states had statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes: Alaska (+0.2 percentage point) and Indiana (-0.3 point). The remaining 48 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.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — August 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑13‑1887.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Florida has largest over-the-year decrease in unemployment rate, August 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20130924.htm (visited March 19, 2024).

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