For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, March 22, 2019 USDL-19-0452
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 -- FEBRUARY 2019
Unemployment rates were lower in February in 4 states and stable in 46
states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. Seven states had jobless rate decreases from a year
earlier, 2 states had increases, and 41 states and the District had
little or no change. The national unemployment rate declined to 3.8
percent over the month and was 0.3 percentage point lower than in
February 2018.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 2 states in February 2019 and
was essentially unchanged in 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Over the year, 22 states added nonfarm payroll jobs and 28 states and
the District were essentially unchanged.
Unemployment
Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Vermont had the lowest
unemployment rates in February, 2.4 percent each. The rates in Alabama
(3.7 percent), North Dakota (2.4 percent), Tennessee (3.2 percent),
and Vermont (2.4 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin
in 1976.) Alaska had the highest jobless rate, 6.5 percent. In total,
16 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.8
percent, 9 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and
25 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of
the nation. (See tables A and 1.)
In February, four states had unemployment rate decreases: Kentucky,
North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming (-0.1 percentage point each).
The remaining 46 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 as large numerically as the
significant changes.
______________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data Corrections |
| |
| This news release contains corrections to previously released employment |
| data in tables 3 and 4. A complete list of corrections in this news release |
| and in the CES (State and Area) database can be found at |
| www.bls.gov/bls/errata/sae_errata.htm. |
|______________________________________________________________________________|
Seven states had unemployment rate decreases from February 2018, the
largest of which was in Connecticut (-0.7 percentage point). Two
states had over-the-year rate increases: Colorado (+0.8 percentage
point) and Hawaii (+0.4 point). (See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in two states in February 2019:
Florida (+25,200, or +0.3 percent) and Idaho (+3,600, or +0.5 percent).
(See table 3.)
Twenty-two states had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll
employment in February. The largest job gains occurred in Texas
(+268,800), California (+222,500), and Florida (+211,900). The
largest percentage gain occurred in Nevada (+3.5 percent), followed
by Utah (+2.9 percent) and Arizona (+2.7 percent). (See table C.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release
for February is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 3,
2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The State Employment and Unemployment
news release for March is scheduled to be released on Friday,
April 19, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., February 2019, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.8
|
Alaska ..............................| 6.5
Arizona .............................| 5.1
California ..........................| 4.2
District of Columbia ................| 5.5
Hawaii ..............................| 2.7
Idaho ...............................| 2.9
Iowa ................................| 2.4
Louisiana ...........................| 4.9
Massachusetts .......................| 3.0
Minnesota ...........................| 3.1
|
Mississippi .........................| 4.8
Nebraska ............................| 2.8
New Hampshire .......................| 2.4
New Mexico ..........................| 5.1
North Dakota ........................| 2.4
Ohio ................................| 4.6
Oklahoma ............................| 3.3
South Carolina ......................| 3.2
South Dakota ........................| 2.9
Tennessee ...........................| 3.2
|
Utah ................................| 3.0
Vermont .............................| 2.4
Virginia ............................| 2.9
Washington ..........................| 4.5
West Virginia .......................| 5.2
Wisconsin ...........................| 2.9
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from February 2018 to February 2019, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | February | February | change(p)
| 2018 | 2019(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
California .....................| 4.3 | 4.2 | -0.1
Colorado .......................| 2.9 | 3.7 | .8
Connecticut ....................| 4.5 | 3.8 | -.7
Delaware .......................| 4.0 | 3.4 | -.6
Hawaii .........................| 2.3 | 2.7 | .4
New York .......................| 4.5 | 3.9 | -.6
Oklahoma .......................| 3.8 | 3.3 | -.5
South Carolina .................| 3.8 | 3.2 | -.6
Vermont ........................| 2.7 | 2.4 | -.3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant employment changes from
February 2018 to February 2019, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | February | February |---------------------------
| 2018 | 2019(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,032,900 | 2,065,200 | 32,300 | 1.6
Arizona ......................| 2,828,500 | 2,905,400 | 76,900 | 2.7
California ...................| 17,100,200 | 17,322,700 | 222,500 | 1.3
Colorado .....................| 2,704,800 | 2,749,600 | 44,800 | 1.7
Florida ......................| 8,709,700 | 8,921,600 | 211,900 | 2.4
Georgia ......................| 4,507,700 | 4,604,800 | 97,100 | 2.2
Idaho ........................| 732,000 | 750,600 | 18,600 | 2.5
Illinois .....................| 6,103,300 | 6,162,400 | 59,100 | 1.0
Indiana ......................| 3,134,800 | 3,177,400 | 42,600 | 1.4
Kentucky .....................| 1,928,800 | 1,949,900 | 21,100 | 1.1
| | | |
Michigan .....................| 4,406,300 | 4,447,500 | 41,200 | .9
Nevada .......................| 1,370,400 | 1,418,800 | 48,400 | 3.5
New York .....................| 9,648,100 | 9,743,500 | 95,400 | 1.0
North Carolina ...............| 4,471,200 | 4,536,000 | 64,800 | 1.4
Oregon .......................| 1,903,700 | 1,933,200 | 29,500 | 1.5
South Carolina ...............| 2,140,800 | 2,171,900 | 31,100 | 1.5
South Dakota .................| 437,600 | 446,200 | 8,600 | 2.0
Tennessee ....................| 3,043,500 | 3,096,500 | 53,000 | 1.7
Texas ........................| 12,393,600 | 12,662,400 | 268,800 | 2.2
Utah .........................| 1,502,900 | 1,546,600 | 43,700 | 2.9
Washington ...................| 3,379,100 | 3,445,800 | 66,700 | 2.0
West Virginia ................| 719,300 | 736,800 | 17,500 | 2.4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
