For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, June 21, 2019 USDL-19-1004
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 2019
Unemployment rates were lower in May 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. Five states had jobless rate
decreases from a year earlier, 1 state had an increase, and 44 states
and the District had little or no change. The national unemployment
rate remained at 3.6 percent in May and was little changed from May
2018.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in Washington in May 2019 and was
essentially unchanged in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Over
the year, 24 states added nonfarm payroll jobs and 26 states and the
District were essentially unchanged.
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 come 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
Vermont had the lowest unemployment rate in May, 2.1 percent. The rates
in Texas (3.5 percent) and Vermont (2.1 percent) set new series lows.
(All state series begin in 1976.) Alaska had the highest jobless rate,
6.4 percent. In total, 12 states had unemployment rates lower than the
U.S. figure of 3.6 percent, 9 states and the District of Columbia had
higher rates, and 29 states had rates that were not appreciably different
from that of the nation. (See tables A and 1.)
In May, six states had unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which
was in Texas (-0.2 percentage point). Two states had over-the-month rate
increases: Nebraska and South Carolina (+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. (See table B.)
Five states had unemployment rate decreases from May 2018. The largest
declines were in Delaware and Vermont (-0.6 percentage point each),
closely followed by Wyoming (-0.5 point). The only unemployment rate
increase over the year occurred in Hawaii (+0.5 percentage point). (See
table C.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in Washington in May 2019 (+9,500,
or +0.3 percent). (See table 3.)
Twenty-four states had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll
employment in May. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+286,300),
California (+282,700), and Florida (+214,500). The largest percentage
gain occurred in Nevada (+4.0 percent), followed by Utah and Washington
(+2.8 percent each). (See table D.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for
May is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at 10:00
a.m. (EDT). The State Employment and Unemployment news release for
June is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 19, 2019, at 10:00
a.m. (EDT).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., May 2019, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.6
|
Alaska ..............................| 6.4
Arizona .............................| 4.9
California ..........................| 4.2
District of Columbia ................| 5.7
Hawaii ..............................| 2.8
Idaho ...............................| 2.8
Illinois ............................| 4.4
Iowa ................................| 2.4
Louisiana ...........................| 4.4
Massachusetts .......................| 3.0
|
Mississippi .........................| 5.0
Nebraska ............................| 3.0
New Hampshire .......................| 2.4
New Mexico ..........................| 5.0
North Dakota ........................| 2.3
South Dakota ........................| 2.9
Utah ................................| 2.9
Vermont .............................| 2.1
Virginia ............................| 3.0
Washington ..........................| 4.7
West Virginia .......................| 4.8
Wisconsin ...........................| 2.8
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from April 2019 to May 2019, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | April | May | change(p)
| 2019 | 2019(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colorado .......................| 3.3 | 3.2 | -0.1
Nebraska .......................| 2.9 | 3.0 | .1
New Jersey .....................| 3.9 | 3.8 | -.1
Ohio ...........................| 4.2 | 4.1 | -.1
Oregon .........................| 4.3 | 4.2 | -.1
South Carolina .................| 3.4 | 3.5 | .1
Texas ..........................| 3.7 | 3.5 | -.2
Vermont ........................| 2.2 | 2.1 | -.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from May 2018 to May 2019, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | May | May | change(p)
| 2018 | 2019(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delaware .......................| 3.8 | 3.2 | -0.6
Hawaii .........................| 2.3 | 2.8 | .5
New York .......................| 4.2 | 4.0 | -.2
North Dakota ...................| 2.6 | 2.3 | -.3
Vermont ........................| 2.7 | 2.1 | -.6
Wyoming ........................| 4.0 | 3.5 | -.5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
May 2018 to May 2019, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | May | May |---------------------------
| 2018 | 2019(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,035,500 | 2,072,900 | 37,400 | 1.8
Alaska .......................| 327,000 | 332,600 | 5,600 | 1.7
Arizona ......................| 2,844,100 | 2,920,300 | 76,200 | 2.7
California ...................| 17,142,800 | 17,425,500 | 282,700 | 1.6
Colorado .....................| 2,720,600 | 2,766,500 | 45,900 | 1.7
Florida ......................| 8,746,800 | 8,961,300 | 214,500 | 2.5
Georgia ......................| 4,526,400 | 4,595,500 | 69,100 | 1.5
Idaho ........................| 736,000 | 754,400 | 18,400 | 2.5
Illinois .....................| 6,099,400 | 6,174,100 | 74,700 | 1.2
Missouri .....................| 2,882,600 | 2,913,600 | 31,000 | 1.1
| | | |
Nevada .......................| 1,379,000 | 1,434,200 | 55,200 | 4.0
New Jersey ...................| 4,147,900 | 4,193,800 | 45,900 | 1.1
New Mexico ...................| 839,400 | 854,700 | 15,300 | 1.8
New York .....................| 9,665,100 | 9,763,300 | 98,200 | 1.0
North Carolina ...............| 4,492,500 | 4,559,500 | 67,000 | 1.5
Ohio .........................| 5,550,700 | 5,593,600 | 42,900 | .8
Oregon .......................| 1,906,700 | 1,944,200 | 37,500 | 2.0
Pennsylvania .................| 5,996,500 | 6,051,400 | 54,900 | .9
South Carolina ...............| 2,138,400 | 2,179,300 | 40,900 | 1.9
South Dakota .................| 437,900 | 446,300 | 8,400 | 1.9
| | | |
Tennessee ....................| 3,053,900 | 3,101,300 | 47,400 | 1.6
Texas ........................| 12,465,100 | 12,751,400 | 286,300 | 2.3
Utah .........................| 1,511,700 | 1,554,300 | 42,600 | 2.8
Washington ...................| 3,395,900 | 3,490,500 | 94,600 | 2.8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
