For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, June 16, 2023 USDL-23-1306
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 2023
Unemployment rates were lower in May in 11 states and stable in 39 states and the
District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Seventeen
states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, 8 states and the District had
increases, and 25 states had little change. The national unemployment rate rose by
0.3 percentage point over the month to 3.7 percent but was little changed from May
2022.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 5 states and was essentially unchanged in
45 states and the District of Columbia in May 2023. Over the year, nonfarm payroll
employment increased in 42 states and was essentially unchanged in 8 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
Nebraska, New Hampshire, and South Dakota had the lowest jobless rates in May, 1.9
percent each. The next lowest rates were in North Dakota and Vermont, 2.1 percent each.
The rates in Arkansas (2.7 percent), Maryland (2.4 percent), Mississippi (3.2 percent),
Nebraska (1.9 percent), New Hampshire (1.9 percent), Ohio (3.6 percent), and Pennsylvania
(4.0 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.) Nevada had the
highest unemployment rate, 5.4 percent. In total, 22 states had unemployment rates
lower than the U.S. figure of 3.7 percent, 3 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 May, 11 states had over-the-month unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which
were in Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont (-0.3 percentage point each). Thirty-nine
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.)
Seventeen states had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which
was in Massachusetts (-0.9 percentage point). Eight states and the District of Columbia
had rate increases from May 2022, the largest of which were in California, Minnesota, and
the District (+0.5 percentage point each). (See table C.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 5 states and was essentially unchanged in
45 states and the District of Columbia in May 2023. The largest job gains occurred in
Texas (+51,000), California (+47,300), and New York (+30,400). The largest percentage
increase occurred in Utah (+0.5 percent), followed by Texas (+0.4 percent) and
California, Michigan, and New York (+0.3 percent each). (See tables D and 3.)
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and was essentially
unchanged in 8 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job increases occurred
in Texas (+529,800), California (+427,500), and Florida (+346,600). The largest percentage
increase occurred in Texas (+4.0 percent), followed by Florida and Nevada
(+3.7 percent each). (See table E.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for May is scheduled to
be released on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and
Unemployment news release for June is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 21, 2023,
at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
______________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data Corrections |
| |
| This news release contains corrections to errors in previously released employment |
| data in table 3. 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. |
|______________________________________________________________________________________|
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., May 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.7
|
Alabama .............................| 2.2
Arkansas ............................| 2.7
California ..........................| 4.5
Colorado ............................| 2.8
District of Columbia ................| 5.1
Florida .............................| 2.6
Idaho ...............................| 2.6
Iowa ................................| 2.7
Kansas ..............................| 2.9
Maine ...............................| 2.4
|
Maryland ............................| 2.4
Massachusetts .......................| 2.8
Minnesota ...........................| 2.9
Missouri ............................| 2.5
Montana .............................| 2.3
Nebraska ............................| 1.9
Nevada ..............................| 5.4
New Hampshire .......................| 1.9
North Dakota ........................| 2.1
Oklahoma ............................| 2.8
|
South Dakota ........................| 1.9
Texas ...............................| 4.1
Utah ................................| 2.3
Vermont .............................| 2.1
Virginia ............................| 2.9
Wisconsin ...........................| 2.4
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from April 2023 to May 2023, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | April | May | change(p)
| 2023 | 2023(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arkansas .......................| 2.8 | 2.7 | -0.1
Hawaii .........................| 3.3 | 3.1 | -.2
Illinois .......................| 4.2 | 4.1 | -.1
Massachusetts ..................| 3.1 | 2.8 | -.3
New Hampshire ..................| 2.1 | 1.9 | -.2
Oregon .........................| 4.0 | 3.7 | -.3
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.1 | 4.0 | -.1
Vermont ........................| 2.4 | 2.1 | -.3
Virginia .......................| 3.1 | 2.9 | -.2
Washington .....................| 4.3 | 4.1 | -.2
Wyoming ........................| 3.5 | 3.3 | -.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from May 2022 to May 2023, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | May | May | change(p)
| 2022 | 2023(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 2.5 | 2.2 | -0.3
Arkansas .......................| 3.2 | 2.7 | -.5
California .....................| 4.0 | 4.5 | .5
Connecticut ....................| 4.1 | 3.7 | -.4
District of Columbia ...........| 4.6 | 5.1 | .5
Florida ........................| 2.9 | 2.6 | -.3
Georgia ........................| 2.9 | 3.2 | .3
Illinois .......................| 4.4 | 4.1 | -.3
Iowa ...........................| 2.4 | 2.7 | .3
Kansas .........................| 2.5 | 2.9 | .4
| | |
Maryland .......................| 3.1 | 2.4 | -.7
Massachusetts ..................| 3.7 | 2.8 | -.9
Michigan .......................| 4.0 | 3.7 | -.3
Minnesota ......................| 2.4 | 2.9 | .5
Mississippi ....................| 3.7 | 3.2 | -.5
Missouri .......................| 2.1 | 2.5 | .4
Montana ........................| 2.6 | 2.3 | -.3
New Hampshire ..................| 2.2 | 1.9 | -.3
New Mexico .....................| 4.1 | 3.5 | -.6
New York .......................| 4.1 | 3.9 | -.2
| | |
Ohio ...........................| 3.9 | 3.6 | -.3
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.3 | 4.0 | -.3
Texas ..........................| 3.8 | 4.1 | .3
Virginia .......................| 2.5 | 2.9 | .4
West Virginia ..................| 3.8 | 3.3 | -.5
Wisconsin ......................| 2.9 | 2.4 | -.5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
April 2023 to May 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-month change(p)
State | April | May |---------------------------
| 2023 | 2023(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
California ...................| 18,040,900 | 18,088,200 | 47,300 | 0.3
Michigan .....................| 4,425,600 | 4,440,100 | 14,500 | .3
New York .....................| 9,665,800 | 9,696,200 | 30,400 | .3
Texas ........................| 13,867,700 | 13,918,700 | 51,000 | .4
Utah .........................| 1,720,300 | 1,728,800 | 8,500 | .5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from
May 2022 to May 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | May | May |---------------------------
| 2022 | 2023(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,105,000 | 2,149,000 | 44,000 | 2.1
Arizona ......................| 3,094,700 | 3,151,500 | 56,800 | 1.8
Arkansas .....................| 1,326,400 | 1,362,700 | 36,300 | 2.7
California ...................| 17,660,700 | 18,088,200 | 427,500 | 2.4
Connecticut ..................| 1,666,600 | 1,691,500 | 24,900 | 1.5
Delaware .....................| 470,100 | 485,700 | 15,600 | 3.3
Florida ......................| 9,379,500 | 9,726,100 | 346,600 | 3.7
Georgia ......................| 4,790,400 | 4,908,500 | 118,100 | 2.5
Hawaii .......................| 611,400 | 631,000 | 19,600 | 3.2
Idaho ........................| 821,800 | 847,200 | 25,400 | 3.1
| | | |
Illinois .....................| 6,009,400 | 6,129,700 | 120,300 | 2.0
Indiana ......................| 3,182,400 | 3,266,700 | 84,300 | 2.6
Iowa .........................| 1,565,000 | 1,596,400 | 31,400 | 2.0
Kansas .......................| 1,409,800 | 1,441,600 | 31,800 | 2.3
Kentucky .....................| 1,954,100 | 2,005,900 | 51,800 | 2.7
Louisiana ....................| 1,914,500 | 1,962,900 | 48,400 | 2.5
Maryland .....................| 2,702,400 | 2,739,200 | 36,800 | 1.4
Massachusetts ................| 3,660,600 | 3,765,700 | 105,100 | 2.9
Michigan .....................| 4,358,000 | 4,440,100 | 82,100 | 1.9
Minnesota ....................| 2,927,700 | 2,986,700 | 59,000 | 2.0
| | | |
Missouri .....................| 2,922,100 | 2,977,700 | 55,600 | 1.9
Nebraska .....................| 1,020,400 | 1,039,800 | 19,400 | 1.9
Nevada .......................| 1,485,600 | 1,540,900 | 55,300 | 3.7
New Hampshire ................| 684,000 | 701,500 | 17,500 | 2.6
New Jersey ...................| 4,242,200 | 4,335,800 | 93,600 | 2.2
New Mexico ...................| 845,700 | 868,200 | 22,500 | 2.7
New York .....................| 9,477,500 | 9,696,200 | 218,700 | 2.3
North Carolina ...............| 4,786,500 | 4,901,500 | 115,000 | 2.4
North Dakota .................| 425,500 | 434,600 | 9,100 | 2.1
Ohio .........................| 5,529,200 | 5,614,600 | 85,400 | 1.5
| | | |
Oklahoma .....................| 1,693,900 | 1,727,900 | 34,000 | 2.0
Oregon .......................| 1,940,200 | 1,992,400 | 52,200 | 2.7
Pennsylvania .................| 5,971,000 | 6,122,500 | 151,500 | 2.5
South Carolina ...............| 2,237,400 | 2,300,600 | 63,200 | 2.8
South Dakota .................| 450,700 | 460,400 | 9,700 | 2.2
Tennessee ....................| 3,237,100 | 3,312,100 | 75,000 | 2.3
Texas ........................| 13,388,900 | 13,918,700 | 529,800 | 4.0
Utah .........................| 1,676,400 | 1,728,800 | 52,400 | 3.1
Virginia .....................| 4,055,400 | 4,146,900 | 91,500 | 2.3
Washington ...................| 3,517,300 | 3,626,500 | 109,200 | 3.1
Wisconsin ....................| 2,954,300 | 2,995,500 | 41,200 | 1.4
Wyoming ......................| 282,700 | 289,700 | 7,000 | 2.5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
