For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, June 15, 2018 USDL-18-0999
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 -- MAY 2018
Unemployment rates were lower in May in 14 states and stable in 36 states and the
District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Eleven
states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier and 39 states and the District
had little or no change. The national unemployment rate edged down from April to
3.8 percent and was 0.5 percentage point lower than in May 2017.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 7 states in May 2018 and was essentially
unchanged in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, 35 states added
nonfarm payroll jobs and 15 states and the District were essentially unchanged.
Unemployment
Hawaii had the lowest unemployment rate in May, 2.0 percent. Alaska had the highest
jobless rate, 7.2 percent. In total, 13 states had unemployment rates lower than
the U.S. figure of 3.8 percent, 17 states and the District of Columbia had higher
rates, and 20 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the
nation. (See tables A and 1.)
In May, 14 states had unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which was in
New Mexico (-0.3 percentage point). The remaining 36 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.)
Eleven states had unemployment rate changes from May 2017, all of which were decreases.
The largest decline occurred in New Mexico (-1.1 percentage points), closely followed
by Kentucky (-1.0 point). (See table C.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Seven states had over-the-month increases in nonfarm payroll employment in May 2018.
The largest increases occurred in Texas (+34,700), Ohio (+22,600), and North Carolina
(+21,600). In percentage terms, the largest increase occurred in West Virginia (+1.4
percent), followed by North Dakota (+1.0 percent) and North Carolina (+0.5 percent).
(See tables D and 3.)
Thirty-five states had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment in May.
The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+352,100), California (+306,000), and Florida
(+180,200). The largest percentage gain occurred in Utah (+3.4 percent), followed by
Idaho (+3.1 percent) and Texas and Washington (+2.9 percent each). (See table E.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for May is scheduled to
be released on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The State Employment and
Unemployment news release for June is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 20, 2018,
at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., May 2018, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.8
|
Alaska ..............................| 7.2
Arizona .............................| 4.7
California ..........................| 4.2
Colorado ............................| 2.8
Connecticut .........................| 4.5
District of Columbia ................| 5.6
Hawaii ..............................| 2.0
Idaho ...............................| 2.9
Illinois ............................| 4.3
Iowa ................................| 2.7
|
Louisiana ...........................| 4.6
Maine ...............................| 2.8
Maryland ............................| 4.3
Michigan ............................| 4.6
Minnesota ...........................| 3.1
Mississippi .........................| 4.7
Nebraska ............................| 2.8
Nevada ..............................| 4.8
New Hampshire .......................| 2.7
New Jersey ..........................| 4.4
|
New Mexico ..........................| 5.1
New York ............................| 4.5
North Dakota ........................| 2.6
Ohio ................................| 4.3
Pennsylvania ........................| 4.5
Utah ................................| 3.0
Vermont .............................| 2.8
Virginia ............................| 3.2
Washington ..........................| 4.7
West Virginia .......................| 5.4
Wisconsin ...........................| 2.8
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 Data are not preliminary.
p = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from April 2018 to May 2018, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | April | May | change(p)
| 2018 | 2018(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona ........................| 4.9 | 4.7 | -0.2
Colorado .......................| 2.9 | 2.8 | -.1
Delaware .......................| 4.2 | 4.0 | -.2
Georgia ........................| 4.3 | 4.2 | -.1
Illinois .......................| 4.4 | 4.3 | -.1
Montana ........................| 4.0 | 3.9 | -.1
New Jersey .....................| 4.5 | 4.4 | -.1
New Mexico .....................| 5.4 | 5.1 | -.3
New York .......................| 4.6 | 4.5 | -.1
North Carolina .................| 4.4 | 4.3 | -.1
| | |
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.7 | 4.5 | -.2
South Carolina .................| 4.2 | 4.0 | -.2
South Dakota ...................| 3.4 | 3.3 | -.1
Virginia .......................| 3.3 | 3.2 | -.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from May 2017 to May 2018, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | May | May | change(p)
| 2017 | 2018(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
California .....................| 4.9 | 4.2 | -0.7
Delaware .......................| 4.6 | 4.0 | -.6
Georgia ........................| 4.8 | 4.2 | -.6
Iowa ...........................| 3.2 | 2.7 | -.5
Kentucky .......................| 5.1 | 4.1 | -1.0
Louisiana ......................| 5.3 | 4.6 | -.7
Maine ..........................| 3.4 | 2.8 | -.6
New Mexico .....................| 6.2 | 5.1 | -1.1
New York .......................| 4.7 | 4.5 | -.2
Ohio ...........................| 5.1 | 4.3 | -.8
Virginia .......................| 3.8 | 3.2 | -.6
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from April 2018 to
May 2018, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-month change(p)
State | April | May |---------------------------
| 2018 | 2018(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michigan .....................| 4,413,600 | 4,425,400 | 11,800 | 0.3
Minnesota ....................| 2,945,000 | 2,955,200 | 10,200 | .3
North Carolina ...............| 4,480,500 | 4,502,100 | 21,600 | .5
North Dakota .................| 426,100 | 430,300 | 4,200 | 1.0
Ohio .........................| 5,576,000 | 5,598,600 | 22,600 | .4
Texas ........................| 12,507,600 | 12,542,300 | 34,700 | .3
West Virginia ................| 749,700 | 760,300 | 10,600 | 1.4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from May 2017 to
May 2018, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | May | May |---------------------------
| 2017 | 2018(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,011,800 | 2,034,700 | 22,900 | 1.1
Arizona ......................| 2,765,200 | 2,835,100 | 69,900 | 2.5
California ...................| 16,783,500 | 17,089,500 | 306,000 | 1.8
Colorado .....................| 2,650,600 | 2,723,400 | 72,800 | 2.7
Florida ......................| 8,566,600 | 8,746,800 | 180,200 | 2.1
Georgia ......................| 4,438,300 | 4,515,000 | 76,700 | 1.7
Hawaii .......................| 652,100 | 663,400 | 11,300 | 1.7
Idaho ........................| 713,300 | 735,100 | 21,800 | 3.1
Illinois .....................| 6,048,700 | 6,108,900 | 60,200 | 1.0
Indiana ......................| 3,100,200 | 3,133,300 | 33,100 | 1.1
| | | |
Iowa .........................| 1,569,300 | 1,586,400 | 17,100 | 1.1
Kansas .......................| 1,397,000 | 1,419,700 | 22,700 | 1.6
Massachusetts ................| 3,596,000 | 3,652,100 | 56,100 | 1.6
Michigan .....................| 4,367,600 | 4,425,400 | 57,800 | 1.3
Minnesota ....................| 2,925,200 | 2,955,200 | 30,000 | 1.0
Mississippi ..................| 1,148,800 | 1,164,700 | 15,900 | 1.4
Missouri .....................| 2,860,600 | 2,894,900 | 34,300 | 1.2
Nebraska .....................| 1,017,000 | 1,030,400 | 13,400 | 1.3
Nevada .......................| 1,336,800 | 1,374,200 | 37,400 | 2.8
New Hampshire ................| 673,000 | 685,900 | 12,900 | 1.9
| | | |
New Jersey ...................| 4,122,000 | 4,179,200 | 57,200 | 1.4
New Mexico ...................| 828,500 | 841,700 | 13,200 | 1.6
New York .....................| 9,506,400 | 9,614,800 | 108,400 | 1.1
North Carolina ...............| 4,402,500 | 4,502,100 | 99,600 | 2.3
Ohio .........................| 5,522,400 | 5,598,600 | 76,200 | 1.4
Oklahoma .....................| 1,657,700 | 1,683,000 | 25,300 | 1.5
Oregon .......................| 1,869,300 | 1,911,500 | 42,200 | 2.3
Pennsylvania .................| 5,936,200 | 6,014,400 | 78,200 | 1.3
South Carolina ...............| 2,083,900 | 2,122,300 | 38,400 | 1.8
Tennessee ....................| 3,003,700 | 3,057,100 | 53,400 | 1.8
| | | |
Texas ........................| 12,190,200 | 12,542,300 | 352,100 | 2.9
Utah .........................| 1,463,100 | 1,512,900 | 49,800 | 3.4
Virginia .....................| 3,947,500 | 4,000,500 | 53,000 | 1.3
Washington ...................| 3,315,700 | 3,411,500 | 95,800 | 2.9
West Virginia ................| 743,200 | 760,300 | 17,100 | 2.3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
