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North Dakota has largest percentage increase in employment from 2003 to 2013

April 24, 2014

From 2003 to 2013, annual average nonfarm payroll employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia, and decreased in 7 states. The largest percentage increases in employment occurred in North Dakota (+33.6 percent), followed by Utah (+20.1 percent), Texas (+19.5 percent), and Wyoming (+16.2 percent).

Percentage change in annual average nonfarm employment, by state, 2003-2013Washington, 10.6%Oregon, 6.3%California, 4.1%Idaho, 11.6%Nevada, 8.0%Montana, 12.1%Wyoming, 16.2%Utah, 20.1%Arizona, 9.4%Colorado, 10.6%New Mexico, 4.6%North Dakota, 33.6%South Dakota, 10.2%Nebraska, 7.1%Kansas, 4.5%Oklahoma, 11.0%Texas, 19.5%Louisiana, 2.4%Arkansas, 2.8%Missouri, 1.8%Iowa, 6.2%Minnesota, 4.4%Alaska, 12.6%Hawaii, 8.8%Kentucky, 2.9%Tennessee, 3.3%Mississippi, -0.4%Alabama, 1.5%Florida, 4.8%Georgia, 4.2%South Carolina, 5.1%North Carolina, 7.1%Virginia, 7.4%District of Columbia, 12.0%West Virginia, 5.0%Maryland, 4.4%Delaware, 2.8%Wisconsin, 1.6%Illinois, -0.2%Michigan, -7.1%Indiana, 1.1%Ohio, -2.7%Pennsylvania, 2.3%New Jersey, -1.1%New York, 6.1%Connecticut, 0.6%Rhode Island, -2.8%Massachusetts, 4.6%Vermont, 2.3%New Hampshire, 3.6%Maine, -0.8%

 

Percentage change in annual average nonfarm employment, by state, 2003–2013

State

2003 employment

2013 employment

Percent change

Alabama

1,875,600

1,903,400

1.5

Alaska

298,200

335,800

12.6

Arizona

2,299,200

2,515,200

9.4

Arkansas

1,145,100

1,177,400

2.8

California

14,557,800

15,147,400

4.1

Colorado

2,152,800

2,381,100

10.6

Connecticut

1,644,500

1,654,700

0.6

Delaware

415,700

427,400

2.8

District of Columbia

665,500

745,200

12.0

Florida

7,232,600

7,579,200

4.8

Georgia

3,870,300

4,033,400

4.2

Hawaii

567,600

617,600

8.8

Idaho

572,000

638,300

11.6

Illinois

5,810,800

5,796,900

-0.2

Indiana

2,902,200

2,933,300

1.1

Iowa

1,440,400

1,529,600

6.2

Kansas

1,313,200

1,372,900

4.5

Kentucky

1,783,300

1,835,000

2.9

Louisiana

1,905,500

1,951,000

2.4

Maine

606,800

601,700

-0.8

Maryland

2,486,500

2,596,100

4.4

Massachusetts

3,209,200

3,356,000

4.6

Michigan

4,415,900

4,104,500

-7.1

Minnesota

2,660,300

2,777,200

4.4

Mississippi

1,116,400

1,111,900

-0.4

Missouri

2,681,700

2,729,800

1.8

Montana

400,300

448,800

12.1

Nebraska

913,700

978,300

7.1

Nevada

1,088,300

1,175,700

8.0

New Hampshire

617,700

640,100

3.6

New Jersey

3,977,100

3,934,800

-1.1

New Mexico

775,600

811,300

4.6

New York

8,399,400

8,908,500

6.1

North Carolina

3,786,900

4,056,900

7.1

North Dakota

332,600

444,300

33.6

Ohio

5,397,700

5,252,400

-2.7

Oklahoma

1,471,000

1,633,100

11.0

Oregon

1,574,100

1,673,700

6.3

Pennsylvania

5,614,000

5,742,500

2.3

Rhode Island

484,300

470,800

-2.8

South Carolina

1,804,200

1,896,600

5.1

South Dakota

378,400

417,100

10.2

Tennessee

2,662,700

2,749,700

3.3

Texas

9,366,900

11,190,200

19.5

Utah

1,074,100

1,289,900

20.1

Vermont

299,200

306,000

2.3

Virginia

3,504,000

3,763,900

7.4

Washington

2,700,500

2,987,000

10.6

West Virginia

726,900

763,100

5.0

Wisconsin

2,773,800

2,818,100

1.6

Wyoming

250,000

290,500

16.2

The largest percentage decreases in payroll employment from 2003 to 2013 were recorded by Michigan (−7.1 percent), Rhode Island (−2.8 percent), and Ohio (−2.7 percent).

From March 2013 to March 2014, nonfarm employment increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 5 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.5 percent), followed by Nevada (+3.8 percent) and Florida (+3.0 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Alaska, Kentucky, and New Mexico (-0.2 percent each).

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — March 2014" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-14-0606.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, North Dakota has largest percentage increase in employment from 2003 to 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140424.htm (visited March 15, 2026).