For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, December 21, 2018 USDL-18-1979
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 -- NOVEMBER 2018
Unemployment rates were lower in November in 6 states, higher in 2 states, and stable
in 42 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
today. Eighteen states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier and 32 states and
the District had little or no change. The national unemployment rate remained unchanged
from October at 3.7 percent but was 0.4 percentage point lower than in November 2017.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 4 states in November 2018 and was essentially
unchanged in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, 37 states added
nonfarm payroll jobs and 13 states and the District were essentially unchanged.
Unemployment
Hawaii and Iowa had the lowest unemployment rates in November, 2.4 percent each. The
rates in Idaho (2.6 percent), Missouri (3.0 percent), and New York (3.9 percent) set
new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.) Alaska had the highest jobless rate,
6.3 percent. In total, 13 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of
3.7 percent, 12 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 November, six states had unemployment rate decreases: Connecticut, Florida, Maryland,
New York, Oklahoma, and Vermont (-0.1 percentage point each). Two states had over-the-
month rate increases: Colorado and Hawaii (+0.1 percentage point each). The remaining 42
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.
Eighteen states had unemployment rate changes from November 2017, all of which were
decreases. The largest decline occurred in New Mexico (-1.4 percentage points).
(See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in four states in November 2018. The job gains occurred
in California (+30,700), Florida (+23,600), Wisconsin (+10,600), and South Dakota (+2,900).
In percentage terms, the largest increase occurred in South Dakota (+0.7 percent), followed
by Wisconsin (+0.4 percent), Florida (+0.3 percent), and California (+0.2 percent). (See
table 3.)
Thirty-seven states had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment in November.
The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+365,400), California (+299,800), and Florida
(+241,600). The largest percentage gain occurred in Nevada (+3.8 percent), followed by
Arizona (+3.6 percent) and Wyoming (+3.2 percent). (See table C.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for November 2018 is
scheduled to be released on Thursday, January 3, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The State
Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2018 is scheduled to be released
on Friday, January 18, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., November 2018, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.7
|
Alaska ..............................| 6.3
Arizona .............................| 4.7
California ..........................| 4.1
District of Columbia ................| 5.6
Hawaii ..............................| 2.4
Idaho ...............................| 2.6
Illinois ............................| 4.2
Iowa ................................| 2.4
Kentucky ............................| 4.5
Louisiana ...........................| 5.0
|
Minnesota ...........................| 2.8
Mississippi .........................| 4.7
Missouri ............................| 3.0
Nebraska ............................| 2.8
Nevada ..............................| 4.4
New Hampshire .......................| 2.5
New Mexico ..........................| 4.6
North Dakota ........................| 2.8
Ohio ................................| 4.6
South Dakota ........................| 3.0
|
Utah ................................| 3.2
Vermont .............................| 2.7
Virginia ............................| 2.8
Washington ..........................| 4.3
West Virginia .......................| 5.2
Wisconsin ...........................| 3.0
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from November 2017 to November 2018, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | November | November | change(p)
| 2017 | 2018(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska .........................| 7.2 | 6.3 | -0.9
California .....................| 4.5 | 4.1 | -.4
Delaware .......................| 4.5 | 3.8 | -.7
Florida ........................| 3.9 | 3.3 | -.6
Georgia ........................| 4.5 | 3.5 | -1.0
Illinois .......................| 4.9 | 4.2 | -.7
Iowa ...........................| 2.9 | 2.4 | -.5
Michigan .......................| 4.7 | 3.9 | -.8
Minnesota ......................| 3.3 | 2.8 | -.5
New Jersey .....................| 4.7 | 4.0 | -.7
| | |
New Mexico .....................| 6.0 | 4.6 | -1.4
New York .......................| 4.7 | 3.9 | -.8
North Carolina .................| 4.5 | 3.6 | -.9
Oklahoma .......................| 4.1 | 3.3 | -.8
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.8 | 4.2 | -.6
South Carolina .................| 4.2 | 3.3 | -.9
South Dakota ...................| 3.4 | 3.0 | -.4
Virginia .......................| 3.6 | 2.8 | -.8
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant employment changes from
November 2017 to November 2018, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | November | November |---------------------------
| 2017 | 2018(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,020,000 | 2,054,800 | 34,800 | 1.7
Arizona ......................| 2,791,000 | 2,892,600 | 101,600 | 3.6
California ...................| 16,967,900 | 17,267,700 | 299,800 | 1.8
Colorado .....................| 2,680,700 | 2,749,800 | 69,100 | 2.6
Connecticut ..................| 1,679,900 | 1,702,900 | 23,000 | 1.4
Florida ......................| 8,631,400 | 8,873,000 | 241,600 | 2.8
Georgia ......................| 4,482,200 | 4,581,200 | 99,000 | 2.2
Hawaii .......................| 652,800 | 666,100 | 13,300 | 2.0
Idaho ........................| 726,100 | 739,300 | 13,200 | 1.8
Illinois .....................| 6,081,900 | 6,136,500 | 54,600 | .9
| | | |
Indiana ......................| 3,111,300 | 3,141,400 | 30,100 | 1.0
Kansas .......................| 1,408,900 | 1,428,600 | 19,700 | 1.4
Maryland .....................| 2,727,100 | 2,763,800 | 36,700 | 1.3
Massachusetts ................| 3,626,000 | 3,686,500 | 60,500 | 1.7
Michigan .....................| 4,389,300 | 4,441,200 | 51,900 | 1.2
Minnesota ....................| 2,941,200 | 2,976,400 | 35,200 | 1.2
Missouri .....................| 2,879,500 | 2,911,900 | 32,400 | 1.1
Nebraska .....................| 1,019,300 | 1,032,200 | 12,900 | 1.3
Nevada .......................| 1,353,300 | 1,405,200 | 51,900 | 3.8
New Hampshire ................| 679,900 | 695,000 | 15,100 | 2.2
| | | |
New Jersey ...................| 4,150,500 | 4,211,400 | 60,900 | 1.5
New Mexico ...................| 836,300 | 854,000 | 17,700 | 2.1
New York .....................| 9,567,600 | 9,682,000 | 114,400 | 1.2
North Carolina ...............| 4,437,200 | 4,537,900 | 100,700 | 2.3
Ohio .........................| 5,532,500 | 5,648,900 | 116,400 | 2.1
Oklahoma .....................| 1,676,000 | 1,704,200 | 28,200 | 1.7
Oregon .......................| 1,887,000 | 1,933,700 | 46,700 | 2.5
Pennsylvania .................| 5,976,800 | 6,055,500 | 78,700 | 1.3
South Carolina ...............| 2,105,200 | 2,138,000 | 32,800 | 1.6
South Dakota .................| 436,800 | 446,100 | 9,300 | 2.1
| | | |
Tennessee ....................| 3,028,300 | 3,089,000 | 60,700 | 2.0
Texas ........................| 12,338,000 | 12,703,400 | 365,400 | 3.0
Utah .........................| 1,485,700 | 1,529,400 | 43,700 | 2.9
Virginia .....................| 3,956,600 | 4,031,700 | 75,100 | 1.9
Washington ...................| 3,362,100 | 3,461,100 | 99,000 | 2.9
Wisconsin ....................| 2,946,200 | 2,990,000 | 43,800 | 1.5
Wyoming ......................| 281,900 | 290,900 | 9,000 | 3.2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
