For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, January 23, 2024 USDL-24-0095
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
STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- DECEMBER 2023
Unemployment rates were higher in December in 15 states, lower in 1 state,
and stable in 34 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. Eighteen states and the District had jobless rate
increases from a year earlier, 15 states had decreases, and 17 states had little
change. The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent but was
0.2 percentage point higher than in December 2022.
Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the
District of Columbia in December 2023. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment
increased in 30 states and was essentially unchanged in 20 states and the District.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian
labor force and unemployment data are modeled based largely on a survey of
households. These data pertain to individuals by where they reside. The employment
data are from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and
earnings by industry. These data pertain to jobs on payrolls defined by where the
establishments are located. For more information about the concepts and statistical
methodologies used by these two programs, see the Technical Note.
Unemployment
Maryland and North Dakota had the lowest jobless rates in December, 1.9 percent
each. The next lowest rate was in South Dakota, 2.0 percent. Nevada had the highest
unemployment rate, 5.4 percent. In total, 16 states had unemployment rates lower
than the U.S. figure of 3.7 percent, 5 states and the District of Columbia had higher
rates, and 29 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the
nation. (See tables A and 1.)
In December, 15 states had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, the largest of
which were in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (+0.3 percentage point each). Minnesota
had the only rate decrease (-0.2 percentage point). Thirty-four states and the District
of Columbia had jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a month
earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the
significant changes. (See table B.)
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate increases from
December 2022, the largest of which was in New Jersey (+1.5 percentage points).
Fifteen states had over-the-year rate decreases, the largest of which were in
Maryland and Oregon (-1.1 percentage points each). Seventeen states had jobless
rates that were not notably different from those of a year earlier, though some
had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
(See table C.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the
District of Columbia in December 2023.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states and was essentially
unchanged in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred
in Texas (+369,600), California (+311,600), and Florida (+240,600). The largest
percentage increase occurred in Nevada (+3.8 percent), followed by Idaho and South
Dakota (+3.0 percent each). (See table D.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2023 is
scheduled to be released on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The Regional
and State Unemployment 2023 Annual Averages news release is scheduled to be released on
Friday, March 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and Unemployment news
release for January 2024 is scheduled to be released on Monday, March 11, 2024, at
10:00 a.m. (ET).
_______________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Upcoming Changes to Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data |
| |
| Effective with the release of January 2024 estimates on March 11, 2024, all |
| nonfarm payroll employment estimates for states and areas presented in tables |
| 3 and 4 of this news release will be adjusted to 2023 benchmark levels. Not |
| seasonally adjusted data beginning with April 2022 and seasonally adjusted |
| data beginning with January 2019 are subject to revision. Some not seasonally |
| adjusted and seasonally adjusted series may be revised as far back as 1990. |
| |
| Also effective with the release of January 2024 estimates on March 11, 2024, |
| the CES program will implement a new weight smoothing procedure for state and |
| metropolitan area employment data. Background information on the new weight |
| smoothing procedure is available on the BLS website at |
| www.bls.gov/osmr/research-papers/2014/pdf/st140140.pdf. |
|_______________________________________________________________________________|
_______________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Upcoming Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data |
| |
| Effective with the release of Regional and State Unemployment 2023 Annual |
| Averages on March 1, 2024, the civilian labor force and unemployment data |
| for the states, the District of Columbia, and the modeled substate areas |
| presented in tables 1 and 2 of this news release will be revised to |
| incorporate updated inputs, new population controls, reestimation of models, |
| and adjustment to new census division and national control totals. The |
| population controls will continue to reflect a "blended base," with elements |
| from three independent data sources for April 1, 2020. Data in table 1 will |
| be re-seasonally adjusted as well. Both not seasonally adjusted and |
| seasonally adjusted data are subject to revision back to 2019. |
|_______________________________________________________________________________|
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., December 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.7
|
Alabama .............................| 2.6
California ..........................| 5.1
District of Columbia ................| 5.1
Florida .............................| 3.0
Hawaii ..............................| 2.9
Illinois ............................| 4.8
Kansas ..............................| 2.8
Maryland ............................| 1.9
Minnesota ...........................| 2.9
Montana .............................| 3.2
|
Nebraska ............................| 2.3
Nevada ..............................| 5.4
New Hampshire .......................| 2.5
New Jersey ..........................| 4.8
New York ............................| 4.5
North Dakota ........................| 1.9
South Carolina ......................| 3.0
South Dakota ........................| 2.0
Utah ................................| 2.8
Vermont .............................| 2.2
Virginia ............................| 3.0
Wyoming .............................| 3.0
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from November 2023 to December 2023, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | November | December | change(p)
| 2023 | 2023(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.2
Arkansas .......................| 3.3 | 3.4 | .1
California .....................| 4.9 | 5.1 | .2
Connecticut ....................| 3.6 | 3.8 | .2
Florida ........................| 2.9 | 3.0 | .1
Louisiana ......................| 3.5 | 3.7 | .2
Maine ..........................| 3.0 | 3.2 | .2
Maryland .......................| 1.8 | 1.9 | .1
Massachusetts ..................| 2.9 | 3.2 | .3
Minnesota ......................| 3.1 | 2.9 | -.2
| | |
Montana ........................| 3.0 | 3.2 | .2
New Hampshire ..................| 2.3 | 2.5 | .2
New York .......................| 4.3 | 4.5 | .2
Rhode Island ...................| 2.9 | 3.2 | .3
Virginia .......................| 2.9 | 3.0 | .1
Washington .....................| 4.0 | 4.2 | .2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from December 2022 to December 2023, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | December | December | change(p)
| 2022 | 2023(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska .........................| 3.7 | 4.5 | 0.8
Arizona ........................| 4.0 | 4.3 | .3
California .....................| 4.1 | 5.1 | 1.0
Colorado .......................| 2.8 | 3.4 | .6
Delaware .......................| 4.6 | 4.2 | -.4
District of Columbia ...........| 4.2 | 5.1 | .9
Florida ........................| 2.7 | 3.0 | .3
Georgia ........................| 3.1 | 3.4 | .3
Hawaii .........................| 3.7 | 2.9 | -.8
Idaho ..........................| 2.8 | 3.3 | .5
| | |
Indiana ........................| 3.1 | 3.6 | .5
Kentucky .......................| 3.9 | 4.3 | .4
Maryland .......................| 3.0 | 1.9 | -1.1
Massachusetts ..................| 3.7 | 3.2 | -.5
Mississippi ....................| 4.0 | 3.3 | -.7
Missouri .......................| 2.7 | 3.3 | .6
Montana ........................| 2.6 | 3.2 | .6
Nebraska .......................| 2.7 | 2.3 | -.4
New Hampshire ..................| 2.9 | 2.5 | -.4
New Jersey .....................| 3.3 | 4.8 | 1.5
| | |
New Mexico .....................| 3.5 | 4.0 | .5
New York .......................| 4.1 | 4.5 | .4
North Carolina .................| 3.8 | 3.5 | -.3
North Dakota ...................| 2.1 | 1.9 | -.2
Ohio ...........................| 4.1 | 3.7 | -.4
Oklahoma .......................| 3.2 | 3.4 | .2
Oregon .........................| 4.8 | 3.7 | -1.1
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.3 | 3.5 | -.8
Texas ..........................| 3.8 | 4.0 | .2
Utah ...........................| 2.4 | 2.8 | .4
| | |
Vermont ........................| 3.0 | 2.2 | -.8
Washington .....................| 4.5 | 4.2 | -.3
Wisconsin ......................| 3.0 | 3.3 | .3
Wyoming ........................| 3.9 | 3.0 | -.9
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
December 2022 to December 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | December | December |---------------------------
| 2022 | 2023(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,136,000 | 2,169,200 | 33,200 | 1.6
Arizona ......................| 3,122,600 | 3,189,300 | 66,700 | 2.1
California ...................| 17,869,100 | 18,180,700 | 311,600 | 1.7
Delaware .....................| 477,000 | 486,400 | 9,400 | 2.0
Florida ......................| 9,620,100 | 9,860,700 | 240,600 | 2.5
Georgia ......................| 4,857,400 | 4,955,500 | 98,100 | 2.0
Idaho ........................| 837,400 | 862,400 | 25,000 | 3.0
Illinois .....................| 6,091,600 | 6,149,400 | 57,800 | .9
Indiana ......................| 3,222,700 | 3,284,700 | 62,000 | 1.9
Kentucky .....................| 1,975,600 | 2,022,300 | 46,700 | 2.4
| | | |
Louisiana ....................| 1,936,600 | 1,973,900 | 37,300 | 1.9
Massachusetts ................| 3,723,900 | 3,793,700 | 69,800 | 1.9
Michigan .....................| 4,389,800 | 4,435,500 | 45,700 | 1.0
Minnesota ....................| 2,958,700 | 3,008,700 | 50,000 | 1.7
Missouri .....................| 2,957,000 | 3,005,100 | 48,100 | 1.6
Nevada .......................| 1,525,900 | 1,583,600 | 57,700 | 3.8
New Jersey ...................| 4,297,400 | 4,367,000 | 69,600 | 1.6
New Mexico ...................| 854,900 | 875,800 | 20,900 | 2.4
North Carolina ...............| 4,852,500 | 4,951,900 | 99,400 | 2.0
North Dakota .................| 430,400 | 439,700 | 9,300 | 2.2
| | | |
Ohio .........................| 5,554,700 | 5,661,100 | 106,400 | 1.9
Pennsylvania .................| 6,071,000 | 6,182,700 | 111,700 | 1.8
South Carolina ...............| 2,263,700 | 2,323,300 | 59,600 | 2.6
South Dakota .................| 456,900 | 470,700 | 13,800 | 3.0
Texas ........................| 13,733,700 | 14,103,300 | 369,600 | 2.7
Utah .........................| 1,695,500 | 1,727,000 | 31,500 | 1.9
Washington ...................| 3,585,500 | 3,653,600 | 68,100 | 1.9
West Virginia ................| 694,900 | 712,900 | 18,000 | 2.6
Wisconsin ....................| 2,983,800 | 3,026,500 | 42,700 | 1.4
Wyoming ......................| 288,400 | 296,500 | 8,100 | 2.8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
