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Unemployment rates were lower in February in 31 states and D.C. and stable in 19 states

April 08, 2022

Unemployment rates were lower in February in 31 states and the District of Columbia and stable in 19 states. All 50 states and the District had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier. The national unemployment rate, 3.8 percent, edged down by 0.2 percentage point over the month and was 2.4 points lower than in February 2021.

State unemployment rates, February 2022
State February 2022 unemployment rate

Alabama

3.0%

Alaska

5.4

Arizona

3.6

Arkansas

3.1

California

5.4

Colorado

4.0

Connecticut

4.9

Delaware

4.6

District of Columbia

6.1

Florida

3.3

Georgia

3.2

Hawaii

4.3

Idaho

2.8

Illinois

4.8

Indiana

2.3

Iowa

3.5

Kansas

2.5

Kentucky

4.2

Louisiana

4.3

Maine

4.0

Maryland

5.0

Massachusetts

4.7

Michigan

4.7

Minnesota

2.7

Mississippi

4.5

Missouri

3.7

Montana

2.6

Nebraska

2.1

Nevada

5.1

New Hampshire

2.7

New Jersey

4.6

New Mexico

5.6

New York

4.9

North Carolina

3.7

North Dakota

2.9

Ohio

4.2

Oklahoma

2.6

Oregon

4.0

Pennsylvania

5.1

Rhode Island

3.9

South Carolina

3.5

South Dakota

2.6

Tennessee

3.4

Texas

4.7

Utah

2.1

Vermont

2.9

Virginia

3.2

Washington

4.3

West Virginia

3.9

Wisconsin

2.9

Wyoming

3.7

Puerto Rico

6.8

Nebraska and Utah had the lowest jobless rates in February, 2.1 percent each. The next lowest rates were in Indiana, 2.3 percent, and Kansas, 2.5 percent. The rates in these four states were the lowest since data began in 1976, as were the rates in the following five states: Arkansas (3.1 percent), Mississippi (4.5 percent), Montana (2.6 percent), Oklahoma (2.6 percent), and West Virginia (3.9 percent).

The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate, 6.1 percent, followed by New Mexico (5.6 percent), and Alaska and California (5.4 percent each). In total, 18 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.8 percent, 13 states and the District had higher rates, and 19 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "State Employment and Unemployment — February 2022." Also see more charts and maps on state employment and unemployment. Estimates for the most recent month are preliminary.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rates were lower in February in 31 states and D.C. and stable in 19 states at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/unemployment-rates-were-lower-in-february-in-31-states-and-d-c-and-stable-in-19-states.htm (visited October 16, 2024).

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