For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, March 3, 2021			USDL-21-0363

Technical information:	(202) 691-6392  *  lausinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/lau 
Media contact:		(202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov 


	   REGIONAL AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT -- 2020 ANNUAL AVERAGES


Annual average unemployment rates rose in 2020 in all regions, divisions,
and states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment-
population ratios decreased across all of these geographic areas as well.
The U.S. jobless rate increased by 4.4 percentage points from the prior
year to 8.1 percent, while the national employment-population ratio fell
by 4.0 points to 56.8 percent. The deterioration in the labor market in
2020 reflected the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts
to contain it.

Regional Unemployment

All four regions posted unemployment rate increases from 2019, from a maximum
of 5.5 percentage points in the Northeast to a minimum of 3.7 points in the
South. The Northeast, 9.2 percent, and West, 9.0 percent, registered jobless
rates higher than the U.S. rate in 2020, while the Midwest and South, 7.6
percent and 7.2 percent, respectively, both had rates below the national
figure. (See table 1.)
 
All nine geographic divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate increases
in 2020, with the largest of these occurring in the Middle Atlantic and Pacific
(+5.8 percentage points and +5.6 points, respectively). The divisions with
the smallest rate increases were the West North Central (+2.6 percentage points)
and East South Central (+3.2 points). The highest jobless rates among the 
divisions were in the Middle Atlantic and Pacific, 9.7 percent each, followed
by the East North Central, 8.5 percent. The divisions with the lowest jobless
rates in 2020 were the West North Central, 5.7 percent, and East South Central,
7.0 percent. The Mountain, South Atlantic, and West South Central divisions
also had rates below the national figure. The unemployment rate in the Middle
Atlantic (9.7 percent) was the highest in its annual average series. (All 
region, division, and state series begin in 1976.)

  _____________________________________________________________________________
 |									       |
 |              Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data             |
 |									       |
 | All subnational estimates presented in this news release were produced      |
 | using a new generation of time-series models. Information on the changes to |
 | model-based estimation is available on the BLS website at		       |
 | www.bls.gov/lau/gen-5-changes-in-2021.htm.				       |
 |									       |
 | Effective with this news release, data have been re-estimated back to 1976  |
 | for regions, divisions, states, and the District of Columbia. The annual    |
 | average data shown in tables 1 and 2 were affected, as were monthly	       |
 | seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data.		       |
 |_____________________________________________________________________________|


State Unemployment

In 2020, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate
increases, the largest of which occurred in Hawaii (+9.1 percentage points)
and Nevada (+8.9 points). Seven additional states recorded rate increases of
at least 5.0 percentage points. Nebraska and South Dakota had the smallest
rate increases (+1.2 percentage points and +1.6 points, respectively). (See
table A.)

Four states reported jobless rates of 10.0 percent or more in 2020: Nevada,
12.8 percent; Hawaii, 11.6 percent; California, 10.1 percent; and New York,
10.0 percent. The rate in Hawaii was the highest in its annual average series.
Nebraska and South Dakota had the lowest jobless rates among the states, 4.2
percent and 4.6 percent, respectively. Overall, 22 states had unemployment 
rates lower than the U.S. figure of 8.1 percent, 8 states had higher rates,
and 20 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably
different from that of the nation. (See table B.)

Regional Employment-Population Ratios

In 2020, all four census regions had decreases in their employment-population
ratios--the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of
age and over who are employed. The Northeast (-4.6 percentage points) and West
(-4.5 points) had the largest ratio decreases. The South, 56.0 percent, and
West, 56.3 percent, had the lowest ratios, while the Midwest had the highest
ratio, 59.1 percent. The ratios in the South and West were the lowest in their
respective series. (See table 2.)

All nine census divisions had decreases in their employment-population ratios
from 2019 to 2020, the largest of which were in New England (-5.2 percentage
points) and the Pacific (-4.9 points). Four divisions had ratios that were lower
than the national average of 56.8 percent: the East South Central, 54.2 percent;
Pacific, 55.2 percent; Middle Atlantic, 55.3 percent; and South Atlantic, 55.9
percent. Three divisions had ratios notably higher than the U.S. ratio: the
West North Central, 63.2 percent; New England, 59.3 percent; and the Mountain,
58.6 percent. The Mountain (58.6 percent), Pacific (55.2 percent), South
Atlantic (55.9 percent), and West South Central (57.0 percent) each had the
lowest employment-population ratios in their respective series.

State Employment-Population Ratios

In 2020, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had over-the-year decreases
in their employment-population ratios. The largest of these declines occurred
in Nevada (-8.1 percentage points), Hawaii (-7.1 points), and Massachusetts
(-6.1 points). Three additional states recorded ratio decreases of at least 5.0
percentage points. The smallest over-the-year decrease occurred in Nebraska 
(-1.5 percentage points), followed by South Dakota and Wyoming (-1.7 points 
each). (See table C.)

Fifteen states registered the lowest employment-population ratios in their 
respective series in 2020. West Virginia and Mississippi had the lowest 
proportions of employed persons among the states, 50.3 percent and 50.6 percent,
respectively. Nebraska had the highest employment-population ratio, 66.7 percent,
followed by North Dakota, 66.0 percent. Overall, 23 states and the District of
Columbia had employment-population ratios higher than the U.S. ratio of 56.8 
percent, 15 states had lower ratios, and 12 states had ratios that were not
appreciably different from that of the nation. (See tables D and E.)

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2021 is
scheduled to be released on Monday, March 15, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for
January 2021 is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 19, 2021, at
10:00 a.m. (ET).


  ______________________________________________________________________________
 |										|
 |     Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on 2020 Household Survey Data     |
 |										|
 | The 2020 annual average estimates of household employment and unemployment	|
 | presented in this news release were averaged from monthly data that were	|
 | revised using a new generation of time-series models in conjunction with	|
 | updated estimation inputs. The changes to the models were designed to allow	|
 | them to better cope with the unusually large frequency and magnitudes of	|
 | breaks in the input data attributable to the pandemic and efforts to		|
 | contain it. More information about the changes to the models is available	|
 | at www.bls.gov/lau/gen-5-changes-in-2021.htm. For the estimation inputs to	|
 | the models, BLS continued to implement level-shift outliers based on		|
 | statistical evaluation of movements in each area's inputs. Both the Current	|
 | Population Survey inputs, which serve as the primary inputs to the models,	|
 | and the nonfarm payroll employment and unemployment insurance claims		|
 | covariates were examined for outliers. The resulting implementation of	|
 | level shifts preserved movements in the published estimates that the models	|
 | otherwise would have discounted, without requiring changes to how the	|
 | models create estimates at other points in the time series.			|
 |										|
 | The "Impact summary" documents associated with the Employment Situation	|
 | news release listed at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-	|
 | and-response-on-the-employment-situation-news-release.htm#summaries		|
 | extensively discuss the monthly impacts of a misclassification in the	|
 | household survey on the national estimates beginning in March 2020. Despite	|
 | the considerable decline in its degree relative to the initial months of	|
 | the pandemic, this misclassification continued to be widespread		|
 | geographically through the end of 2020, with BLS analysis indicating that	|
 | most states still were affected to at least some extent as of December.	|
 | However, according to usual practice, the data from the household survey	|
 | are accepted as recorded. To maintain data integrity, no ad hoc actions 	|
 | are taken to reclassify survey responses. Hence, the household survey 	|
 | estimates of employed and unemployed people that serve as the primary 	|
 | inputs to the state models were affected to varying degrees by the		|
 | misclassification, which in turn affected the monthly estimates underlying	|
 | the 2020 annual averages presented in this news release.			|
 |______________________________________________________________________________|

  
 
 Table A.  States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes, 
 2019-20 annual averages
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 |          Rate           |               
                                 |-------------------------| Over-the-year 
              State              |            |            |  rate change  
                                 |    2019    |    2020    |               
 --------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------
 Alabama ........................|     3.0    |     5.9    |       2.9
 Alaska .........................|     5.4    |     7.8    |       2.4
 Arizona ........................|     4.9    |     7.9    |       3.0
 Arkansas .......................|     3.5    |     6.1    |       2.6
 California .....................|     4.2    |    10.1    |       5.9
 Colorado .......................|     2.7    |     7.3    |       4.6
 Connecticut ....................|     3.6    |     7.9    |       4.3
 Delaware .......................|     3.7    |     7.8    |       4.1
 District of Columbia ...........|     5.4    |     8.0    |       2.6
 Florida ........................|     3.3    |     7.7    |       4.4
                                 |            |            |          
 Georgia ........................|     3.5    |     6.5    |       3.0
 Hawaii .........................|     2.5    |    11.6    |       9.1
 Idaho ..........................|     2.8    |     5.4    |       2.6
 Illinois .......................|     4.0    |     9.5    |       5.5
 Indiana ........................|     3.2    |     7.1    |       3.9
 Iowa ...........................|     2.8    |     5.3    |       2.5
 Kansas .........................|     3.2    |     5.9    |       2.7
 Kentucky .......................|     4.1    |     6.6    |       2.5
 Louisiana ......................|     4.7    |     8.3    |       3.6
 Maine ..........................|     2.7    |     5.4    |       2.7
                                 |            |            |          
 Maryland .......................|     3.5    |     6.8    |       3.3
 Massachusetts ..................|     3.0    |     8.9    |       5.9
 Michigan .......................|     4.1    |     9.9    |       5.8
 Minnesota ......................|     3.2    |     6.2    |       3.0
 Mississippi ....................|     5.5    |     8.1    |       2.6
 Missouri .......................|     3.3    |     6.1    |       2.8
 Montana ........................|     3.6    |     5.9    |       2.3
 Nebraska .......................|     3.0    |     4.2    |       1.2
 Nevada .........................|     3.9    |    12.8    |       8.9
 New Hampshire ..................|     2.6    |     6.7    |       4.1
                                 |            |            |          
 New Jersey .....................|     3.4    |     9.8    |       6.4
 New Mexico .....................|     5.0    |     8.4    |       3.4
 New York .......................|     3.8    |    10.0    |       6.2
 North Carolina .................|     3.8    |     7.3    |       3.5
 North Dakota ...................|     2.3    |     5.1    |       2.8
 Ohio ...........................|     4.2    |     8.1    |       3.9
 Oklahoma .......................|     3.1    |     6.1    |       3.0
 Oregon .........................|     3.7    |     7.6    |       3.9
 Pennsylvania ...................|     4.5    |     9.1    |       4.6
 Rhode Island ...................|     3.6    |     9.4    |       5.8
                                 |            |            |          
 South Carolina .................|     2.8    |     6.2    |       3.4
 South Dakota ...................|     3.0    |     4.6    |       1.6
 Tennessee ......................|     3.4    |     7.5    |       4.1
 Texas ..........................|     3.5    |     7.6    |       4.1
 Utah ...........................|     2.5    |     4.7    |       2.2
 Vermont ........................|     2.3    |     5.6    |       3.3
 Virginia .......................|     2.7    |     6.2    |       3.5
 Washington .....................|     4.1    |     8.4    |       4.3
 West Virginia ..................|     4.9    |     8.3    |       3.4
 Wisconsin ......................|     3.3    |     6.3    |       3.0
 Wyoming ........................|     3.7    |     5.8    |       2.1
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   
 Table B.  States with unemployment rates significantly differ-
 ent from that of the U.S., 2020 annual averages
 --------------------------------------------------------------
                 State                |          Rate
 --------------------------------------------------------------
 United States .......................|           8.1
                                      |              
 Alabama .............................|           5.9
 Arkansas ............................|           6.1
 California ..........................|          10.1
 Georgia .............................|           6.5
 Hawaii ..............................|          11.6
 Idaho ...............................|           5.4
 Illinois ............................|           9.5
 Indiana .............................|           7.1
 Iowa ................................|           5.3
 Kansas ..............................|           5.9
                                      |              
 Maine ...............................|           5.4
 Maryland ............................|           6.8
 Michigan ............................|           9.9
 Minnesota ...........................|           6.2
 Missouri ............................|           6.1
 Montana .............................|           5.9
 Nebraska ............................|           4.2
 Nevada ..............................|          12.8
 New Jersey ..........................|           9.8
 New York ............................|          10.0
                                      |              
 North Dakota ........................|           5.1
 Oklahoma ............................|           6.1
 Pennsylvania ........................|           9.1
 South Carolina ......................|           6.2
 South Dakota ........................|           4.6
 Utah ................................|           4.7
 Vermont .............................|           5.6
 Virginia ............................|           6.2
 Wisconsin ...........................|           6.3
 Wyoming .............................|           5.8
 --------------------------------------------------------------
 
  
 Table C.  States with statistically significant employment-population 
 ratio changes, 2019-20 annual averages
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 |          Ratio          |               
                                 |-------------------------| Over-the-year 
              State              |            |            | ratio change  
                                 |    2019    |    2020    |               
 --------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------
 Alabama ........................|    56.1    |    54.1    |      -2.0
 Alaska .........................|    61.3    |    58.7    |      -2.6
 Arizona ........................|    58.8    |    56.1    |      -2.7
 Arkansas .......................|    56.2    |    53.9    |      -2.3
 California .....................|    59.8    |    54.4    |      -5.4
 Colorado .......................|    66.9    |    62.8    |      -4.1
 Connecticut ....................|    64.1    |    59.8    |      -4.3
 Delaware .......................|    60.2    |    56.5    |      -3.7
 District of Columbia ...........|    67.6    |    64.6    |      -3.0
 Florida ........................|    57.4    |    52.9    |      -4.5
                                 |            |            |          
 Georgia ........................|    60.5    |    57.1    |      -3.4
 Hawaii .........................|    59.8    |    52.7    |      -7.1
 Idaho ..........................|    62.4    |    60.0    |      -2.4
 Illinois .......................|    61.9    |    56.8    |      -5.1
 Indiana ........................|    62.4    |    58.5    |      -3.9
 Iowa ...........................|    68.2    |    63.7    |      -4.5
 Kansas .........................|    64.9    |    63.1    |      -1.8
 Kentucky .......................|    56.7    |    53.8    |      -2.9
 Louisiana ......................|    56.4    |    53.2    |      -3.2
 Maine ..........................|    60.9    |    57.2    |      -3.7
                                 |            |            |          
 Maryland .......................|    66.2    |    62.0    |      -4.2
 Massachusetts ..................|    65.1    |    59.0    |      -6.1
 Michigan .......................|    59.4    |    54.6    |      -4.8
 Minnesota ......................|    67.7    |    65.3    |      -2.4
 Mississippi ....................|    52.9    |    50.6    |      -2.3
 Missouri .......................|    61.9    |    59.3    |      -2.6
 Montana ........................|    60.8    |    59.0    |      -1.8
 Nebraska .......................|    68.2    |    66.7    |      -1.5
 Nevada .........................|    61.9    |    53.8    |      -8.1
 New Hampshire ..................|    67.1    |    62.9    |      -4.2
                                 |            |            |          
 New Jersey .....................|    61.7    |    57.3    |      -4.4
 New Mexico .....................|    55.5    |    52.3    |      -3.2
 New York .......................|    58.4    |    53.7    |      -4.7
 North Carolina .................|    59.2    |    54.9    |      -4.3
 North Dakota ...................|    68.5    |    66.0    |      -2.5
 Ohio ...........................|    60.6    |    57.1    |      -3.5
 Oklahoma .......................|    59.0    |    56.8    |      -2.2
 Oregon .........................|    59.5    |    56.5    |      -3.0
 Pennsylvania ...................|    60.4    |    56.5    |      -3.9
 Rhode Island ...................|    62.4    |    56.8    |      -5.6
                                 |            |            |          
 South Carolina .................|    56.6    |    54.2    |      -2.4
 South Dakota ...................|    66.7    |    65.0    |      -1.7
 Tennessee ......................|    59.8    |    56.0    |      -3.8
 Texas ..........................|    61.7    |    57.9    |      -3.8
 Utah ...........................|    66.8    |    64.8    |      -2.0
 Vermont ........................|    64.9    |    60.1    |      -4.8
 Virginia .......................|    64.5    |    60.6    |      -3.9
 Washington .....................|    62.2    |    58.8    |      -3.4
 West Virginia ..................|    52.4    |    50.3    |      -2.1
 Wisconsin ......................|    64.6    |    61.7    |      -2.9
 Wyoming ........................|    63.2    |    61.5    |      -1.7
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  
 Table D.  States with new series low employment-population
 ratios, 2020 annual averages (1)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
                 State                |          Ratio          
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 Alaska ..............................|           58.7
 California ..........................|           54.4
 Delaware ............................|           56.5
 Georgia .............................|           57.1
 Hawaii ..............................|           52.7
 Illinois ............................|           56.8
 Kentucky ............................|           53.8
 Nevada ..............................|           53.8
 New Mexico ..........................|           52.3
 North Carolina ......................|           54.9
                                      |               
 Oregon ..............................|           56.5
 Rhode Island ........................|           56.8
 Texas ...............................|           57.9
 Virginia ............................|           60.6
 Wyoming .............................|           61.5
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
    (1) All state series begin in 1976.
 
   
 Table E.  States with employment-population ratios significantly
 different from that of the U.S., 2020 annual averages
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
                 State                |          Ratio          
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 United States .......................|           56.8
                                      |               
 Alabama .............................|           54.1
 Alaska ..............................|           58.7
 Arkansas ............................|           53.9
 California ..........................|           54.4
 Colorado ............................|           62.8
 Connecticut .........................|           59.8
 District of Columbia ................|           64.6
 Florida .............................|           52.9
 Hawaii ..............................|           52.7
 Idaho ...............................|           60.0
                                      |               
 Indiana .............................|           58.5
 Iowa ................................|           63.7
 Kansas ..............................|           63.1
 Kentucky ............................|           53.8
 Louisiana ...........................|           53.2
 Maryland ............................|           62.0
 Massachusetts .......................|           59.0
 Michigan ............................|           54.6
 Minnesota ...........................|           65.3
 Mississippi .........................|           50.6
                                      |               
 Missouri ............................|           59.3
 Montana .............................|           59.0
 Nebraska ............................|           66.7
 Nevada ..............................|           53.8
 New Hampshire .......................|           62.9
 New Mexico ..........................|           52.3
 New York ............................|           53.7
 North Carolina ......................|           54.9
 North Dakota ........................|           66.0
 South Carolina ......................|           54.2
                                      |               
 South Dakota ........................|           65.0
 Texas ...............................|           57.9
 Utah ................................|           64.8
 Vermont .............................|           60.1
 Virginia ............................|           60.6
 Washington ..........................|           58.8
 West Virginia .......................|           50.3
 Wisconsin ...........................|           61.7
 Wyoming .............................|           61.5
 ----------------------------------------------------------------

Technical Note

Special technical note: All subnational estimates presented in this news
release were produced using a new generation of time-series models. Information
on the changes to model-based estimation is available on the BLS website at 
www.bls.gov/lau/gen-5-changes-in-2021.htm.

This news release presents labor force and unemployment data for census regions 
and divisions and states from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) 
program. The LAUS program is a federal-state cooperative endeavor.

Concepts

Definitions. The labor force and unemployment data are based on the same 
concepts and definitions as those used for the official national estimates 
obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a sample survey of 
households that is conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by 
the U.S. Census Bureau. The LAUS program measures employed and unemployed 
persons on a place-of-residence basis. The universe for each is the civilian 
noninstitutional population 16 years of age and older. Employed persons are 
those who did any work at all for pay or profit in the reference week (the 
week including the 12th of the month) or worked 15 hours or more without 
pay in a family business or farm, plus those not working who had a job from 
which they were temporarily absent, whether or not paid, for such reasons 
as labor management dispute, illness, or vacation. Unemployed persons are 
those who were not employed during the reference week (based on the 
definition above), had actively looked for a job sometime in the 4-week 
period ending with the reference week, and were currently available for 
work; persons on layoff expecting recall need not be looking for work to 
be counted as unemployed. The labor force is the sum of employed and 
unemployed persons. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed 
expressed as a percent of the labor force. The employment-population ratio 
is the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of 
age and older that is employed.

Method of estimation. Estimates for 48 of the 50 states, the District of 
Columbia, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, New 
York City, and the balances of California and New York State are produced 
using estimating equations based on regression techniques. This method 
utilizes data from several sources, including the CPS, the Current 
Employment Statistics (CES) survey of nonfarm payroll employment, and 
state unemployment insurance (UI) programs. Estimates for the State of 
California are derived by summing the estimates for the Los Angeles-Long 
Beach-Glendale metropolitan division and the balance of California. 
Similarly, estimates for New York State are derived by summing the 
estimates for New York City and the balance of New York State. Estimates 
for all nine census divisions are based on a similar regression approach 
that does not incorporate CES or UI data. Estimates for census regions 
are obtained by summing the model-based estimates for the component 
divisions and then calculating the unemployment rate. Each month, census 
division estimates are controlled to national totals; state estimates 
are then controlled to their respective division totals. A detailed
description of the estimation procedures is available from BLS upon request. 

Annual revisions. Labor force and unemployment data for prior years 
reflect adjustments made at the beginning of each year. The adjusted 
estimates incorporate updated population controls from the U.S. Census 
Bureau, any revisions in the other data sources, and model re-estimation. 
The population controls reflect extrapolation from the 2010 Census. In 
most years, historical data for the most recent 5 years (both seasonally 
adjusted and not seasonally adjusted) are revised near the beginning of 
each calendar year, prior to the release of January estimates. Though 
the labor force estimates typically are updated for 5 years, the 
population estimates are revised back to the decennial estimates base 
(April 2010). With the introduction of a new generation of times-series
models in 2021, historical data were re-estimated back to January 1976
for regions, divisions, states, the District of Columbia, the Los
Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, New York City, and
the balances of California and New York states.

Reliability of the estimates

The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, 
administrative data, and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and 
other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability--
that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than 
the entire population is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to 
nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data 
collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived 
from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the 
specific estimation processes used. In table 1, level estimates for 
states may not sum to level estimates for regions and divisions because 
of rounding. Unemployment rates and employment-population ratios are 
computed from unrounded levels and, thus, may differ slightly from rates 
and ratios computed using the rounded level estimates displayed in table 1.

Use of error measures. Changes in unemployment rates and employment-population
ratios are cited in the analysis of this release only if they have been determined
to be statistically significant. Furthermore, unemployment rates and
employment-population ratios for the latest year generally are cited only
if they have been determined to be significantly different from the corresponding
U.S. measure. The underlying model-based error measures are available online at
www.bls.gov/lau/lastderr.htm. BLS uses 90-percent confidence levels in determining
whether changes in LAUS unemployment rates and employment-population ratios are
statistically significant. The average magnitude of the over-the-year change in
an annual state unemployment rate that is required in order to be statistically
significant at the 90-percent confidence level is about 1.0 percentage point. The 
average magnitude of the over-the-year change in an annual state employment-
population ratio that is required in order to be statistically significant 
at the 90-percent confidence level is about 0.9 percentage point. Measures 
of nonsampling error are not available.

Additional information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired 
individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay 
Service: (800) 877-8339.