35 States See Employment Decrease in December

The largest over-the-month employment decreases were in New York (-22,800), Minnesota (-22,400),  Florida (-17,900), and Georgia (-17,500). The largest over-the-month percentage decreases in employment occurred in Minnesota (-0.8%), Alabama and Hawaii (-0.7% each), and Delaware and Georgia (-0.5% each).   

The BLS data showed the largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Texas (+20,000) and South Carolina (+9,000). The largest over-the-month percentage increases in employment were in Idaho (+0.6%), Montana and South Carolina (+0.5% each), and Alaska (+0.4%).   

However, over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 8 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment was reported in the District of Columbia (+3.2%), followed by Texas (+2.3%), New Hampshire (+2.1%), North Dakota (+1.7%), and Massachusetts (+1.5%). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Nevada (-1.5%), followed by New Jersey (-0.8%), Missouri (-0.6%), and Rhode Island (-0.5%).  

The West reported the highest regional unemployment rate in December, 10.9%, while the Northeast recorded the lowest rate, 8.4%. The Midwest was the only region to experience a statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate change (-0.3 percentage point). Two of the four regions registered significant rate changes from a year earlier: the Midwest (-1.1 percentage points) and Northeast (-0.6 point).   

Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, 14.5% in December. The states with the next highest rates were California, 12.5%, and Florida, 12%.   

North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.8%, followed by Nebraska and South Dakota, 4.4% and 4.6%, respectively. In total 25 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.4%, eight states recorded measurably higher rates, and 17 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.