For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, September 16, 2022 USDL-22-1838
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 -- AUGUST 2022
Unemployment rates were higher in August in 16 states and stable in 34 states and the
District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. All 50 states
and the District had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier. The national unemployment
rate rose to 3.7 percent over the month but was 1.5 percentage points lower than in
August 2021.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 10 states, decreased in 1 state, and was
essentially unchanged in 39 states and the District of Columbia in August 2022. Over the
year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 46 states and the District and was
essentially unchanged in 4 states.
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
Minnesota had the lowest jobless rate in August, 1.9 percent. The next lowest rates were
in New Hampshire and Utah, 2.0 percent each. The rate in Louisiana, 3.5 percent, set a new
series low (all state series begin in 1976). The District of Columbia had the highest
unemployment rate, 5.1 percent, followed by New York, 4.7 percent. In total, 17 states had
unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.7 percent, 8 states and the District
had higher rates, and 25 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of
the nation. (See tables A and 1.)
In August, 16 states had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, the largest of which
were in Connecticut, Maryland, and New York (+0.4 percentage point each). 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.)
The largest unemployment rate decreases from August 2021 occurred in Rhode Island
(-3.0 percentage points) and California (-2.9 points). The smallest over-the-year jobless
rate declines occurred in Arkansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma (-0.4 percentage point each).
(See table C.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 10 states, decreased in 1 state, and was
essentially unchanged in 39 states and the District of Columbia in August 2022. The
largest job gains occurred in Kentucky (+26,700), New York (+25,600), and Virginia
(+16,700). The largest percentage increases occurred in Alaska and Kentucky (+1.4 percent
each), followed by Oregon and Washington (+0.5 percent each). Employment decreased in
Mississippi (-8,300, or -0.7 percent). (See tables D and 3.)
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 46 states and the District of
Columbia and was essentially unchanged in 4 states. The largest job increases occurred in
Texas (+726,900), California (+677,100), and Florida (+443,600). The largest percentage
increases occurred in Texas (+5.7 percent) and Nevada (+5.0 percent), followed by
Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey (+4.9 percent each). (See table E.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for August is scheduled
to be released on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment
and Unemployment news release for September is scheduled to be released on Friday,
October 21, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., August 2022, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.7
|
Alabama .............................| 2.6
Alaska ..............................| 4.6
California ..........................| 4.1
Delaware ............................| 4.5
District of Columbia ................| 5.1
Florida .............................| 2.7
Georgia .............................| 2.8
Idaho ...............................| 2.7
Illinois ............................| 4.5
Indiana .............................| 2.8
|
Iowa ................................| 2.6
Kansas ..............................| 2.5
Minnesota ...........................| 1.9
Missouri ............................| 2.5
Montana .............................| 2.8
Nebraska ............................| 2.1
New Hampshire .......................| 2.0
New Mexico ..........................| 4.4
New York ............................| 4.7
North Dakota ........................| 2.3
|
Pennsylvania ........................| 4.2
South Dakota ........................| 2.3
Texas ...............................| 4.1
Utah ................................| 2.0
Vermont .............................| 2.1
Virginia ............................| 2.6
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from July 2022 to August 2022, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | July | August | change(p)
| 2022 | 2022(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona ........................| 3.3 | 3.5 | 0.2
California .....................| 3.9 | 4.1 | .2
Connecticut ....................| 3.7 | 4.1 | .4
Idaho ..........................| 2.6 | 2.7 | .1
Indiana ........................| 2.6 | 2.8 | .2
Iowa ...........................| 2.5 | 2.6 | .1
Maine ..........................| 2.8 | 3.1 | .3
Maryland .......................| 3.9 | 4.3 | .4
Massachusetts ..................| 3.5 | 3.6 | .1
Minnesota ......................| 1.8 | 1.9 | .1
| | |
Montana ........................| 2.7 | 2.8 | .1
Nebraska .......................| 2.0 | 2.1 | .1
New Jersey .....................| 3.7 | 4.0 | .3
New York .......................| 4.3 | 4.7 | .4
North Carolina .................| 3.4 | 3.5 | .1
Oregon .........................| 3.5 | 3.7 | .2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from August 2021 to August 2022, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | August | August | change(p)
| 2021 | 2022(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 3.3 | 2.6 | -0.7
Alaska .........................| 6.3 | 4.6 | -1.7
Arizona ........................| 4.5 | 3.5 | -1.0
Arkansas .......................| 3.8 | 3.4 | -.4
California .....................| 7.0 | 4.1 | -2.9
Colorado .......................| 5.3 | 3.4 | -1.9
Connecticut ....................| 6.1 | 4.1 | -2.0
Delaware .......................| 5.3 | 4.5 | -.8
District of Columbia ...........| 6.9 | 5.1 | -1.8
Florida ........................| 4.3 | 2.7 | -1.6
| | |
Georgia ........................| 3.7 | 2.8 | -.9
Hawaii .........................| 5.3 | 4.1 | -1.2
Idaho ..........................| 3.5 | 2.7 | -.8
Illinois .......................| 6.0 | 4.5 | -1.5
Indiana ........................| 3.4 | 2.8 | -.6
Iowa ...........................| 4.3 | 2.6 | -1.7
Kansas .........................| 3.2 | 2.5 | -.7
Kentucky .......................| 4.8 | 3.8 | -1.0
Louisiana ......................| 5.2 | 3.5 | -1.7
Maine ..........................| 4.8 | 3.1 | -1.7
| | |
Maryland .......................| 6.2 | 4.3 | -1.9
Massachusetts ..................| 5.5 | 3.6 | -1.9
Michigan .......................| 6.0 | 4.1 | -1.9
Minnesota ......................| 3.3 | 1.9 | -1.4
Mississippi ....................| 5.3 | 3.6 | -1.7
Missouri .......................| 4.1 | 2.5 | -1.6
Montana ........................| 3.4 | 2.8 | -.6
Nebraska .......................| 2.5 | 2.1 | -.4
Nevada .........................| 6.0 | 4.4 | -1.6
New Hampshire ..................| 3.4 | 2.0 | -1.4
| | |
New Jersey .....................| 6.5 | 4.0 | -2.5
New Mexico .....................| 6.8 | 4.4 | -2.4
New York .......................| 6.6 | 4.7 | -1.9
North Carolina .................| 4.8 | 3.5 | -1.3
North Dakota ...................| 3.3 | 2.3 | -1.0
Ohio ...........................| 4.9 | 4.0 | -.9
Oklahoma .......................| 3.5 | 3.1 | -.4
Oregon .........................| 4.9 | 3.7 | -1.2
Pennsylvania ...................| 6.1 | 4.2 | -1.9
Rhode Island ...................| 5.8 | 2.8 | -3.0
| | |
South Carolina .................| 3.9 | 3.1 | -.8
South Dakota ...................| 3.2 | 2.3 | -.9
Tennessee ......................| 4.0 | 3.4 | -.6
Texas ..........................| 5.4 | 4.1 | -1.3
Utah ...........................| 2.6 | 2.0 | -.6
Vermont ........................| 3.2 | 2.1 | -1.1
Virginia .......................| 3.6 | 2.6 | -1.0
Washington .....................| 5.0 | 3.7 | -1.3
West Virginia ..................| 4.8 | 3.9 | -.9
Wisconsin ......................| 3.6 | 3.1 | -.5
Wyoming ........................| 4.3 | 3.1 | -1.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
July 2022 to August 2022, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-month change(p)
State | July | August |---------------------------
| 2022 | 2022(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska .......................| 312,700 | 317,100 | 4,400 | 1.4
Colorado .....................| 2,862,600 | 2,875,000 | 12,400 | .4
Georgia ......................| 4,808,700 | 4,824,500 | 15,800 | .3
Kentucky .....................| 1,939,000 | 1,965,700 | 26,700 | 1.4
Mississippi ..................| 1,159,800 | 1,151,500 | -8,300 | -.7
New Jersey ...................| 4,225,800 | 4,241,200 | 15,400 | .4
New York .....................| 9,490,100 | 9,515,700 | 25,600 | .3
Oregon .......................| 1,969,000 | 1,978,300 | 9,300 | .5
South Carolina ...............| 2,232,800 | 2,242,400 | 9,600 | .4
Virginia .....................| 4,068,600 | 4,085,300 | 16,700 | .4
Washington ...................| 3,507,500 | 3,523,600 | 16,100 | .5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from
August 2021 to August 2022, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | August | August |---------------------------
| 2021 | 2022(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,045,700 | 2,087,400 | 41,700 | 2.0
Alaska .......................| 309,300 | 317,100 | 7,800 | 2.5
Arizona ......................| 2,981,100 | 3,090,500 | 109,400 | 3.7
Arkansas .....................| 1,288,600 | 1,327,600 | 39,000 | 3.0
California ...................| 16,967,500 | 17,644,600 | 677,100 | 4.0
Colorado .....................| 2,766,700 | 2,875,000 | 108,300 | 3.9
Connecticut ..................| 1,624,700 | 1,663,900 | 39,200 | 2.4
Delaware .....................| 450,800 | 464,100 | 13,300 | 3.0
District of Columbia .........| 746,200 | 765,000 | 18,800 | 2.5
Florida ......................| 9,003,800 | 9,447,400 | 443,600 | 4.9
| | | |
Georgia ......................| 4,598,000 | 4,824,500 | 226,500 | 4.9
Hawaii .......................| 597,500 | 610,500 | 13,000 | 2.2
Idaho ........................| 801,600 | 822,600 | 21,000 | 2.6
Illinois .....................| 5,828,500 | 6,068,200 | 239,700 | 4.1
Indiana ......................| 3,103,300 | 3,185,400 | 82,100 | 2.6
Iowa .........................| 1,539,300 | 1,578,200 | 38,900 | 2.5
Kentucky .....................| 1,907,300 | 1,965,700 | 58,400 | 3.1
Louisiana ....................| 1,885,100 | 1,931,000 | 45,900 | 2.4
Maine ........................| 623,600 | 636,200 | 12,600 | 2.0
Maryland .....................| 2,664,400 | 2,736,800 | 72,400 | 2.7
| | | |
Massachusetts ................| 3,557,100 | 3,683,500 | 126,400 | 3.6
Michigan .....................| 4,221,600 | 4,356,700 | 135,100 | 3.2
Minnesota ....................| 2,861,800 | 2,929,700 | 67,900 | 2.4
Missouri .....................| 2,866,600 | 2,922,200 | 55,600 | 1.9
Montana ......................| 494,800 | 506,300 | 11,500 | 2.3
Nebraska .....................| 1,010,100 | 1,030,500 | 20,400 | 2.0
Nevada .......................| 1,390,900 | 1,460,800 | 69,900 | 5.0
New Jersey ...................| 4,044,700 | 4,241,200 | 196,500 | 4.9
New Mexico ...................| 823,100 | 851,700 | 28,600 | 3.5
New York .....................| 9,091,400 | 9,515,700 | 424,300 | 4.7
| | | |
North Carolina ...............| 4,625,700 | 4,801,300 | 175,600 | 3.8
North Dakota .................| 417,800 | 429,200 | 11,400 | 2.7
Ohio .........................| 5,407,100 | 5,489,600 | 82,500 | 1.5
Oklahoma .....................| 1,645,300 | 1,691,900 | 46,600 | 2.8
Oregon .......................| 1,897,600 | 1,978,300 | 80,700 | 4.3
Pennsylvania .................| 5,782,800 | 5,984,400 | 201,600 | 3.5
Rhode Island .................| 482,800 | 498,800 | 16,000 | 3.3
South Carolina ...............| 2,156,400 | 2,242,400 | 86,000 | 4.0
South Dakota .................| 442,600 | 452,700 | 10,100 | 2.3
Tennessee ....................| 3,128,200 | 3,242,700 | 114,500 | 3.7
| | | |
Texas ........................| 12,803,200 | 13,530,100 | 726,900 | 5.7
Utah .........................| 1,625,300 | 1,678,900 | 53,600 | 3.3
Virginia .....................| 3,967,200 | 4,085,300 | 118,100 | 3.0
Washington ...................| 3,386,500 | 3,523,600 | 137,100 | 4.0
West Virginia ................| 687,000 | 707,000 | 20,000 | 2.9
Wisconsin ....................| 2,893,800 | 2,943,400 | 49,600 | 1.7
Wyoming ......................| 277,900 | 285,300 | 7,400 | 2.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
