U.S. Regional and State Employment Report for Nov. (Text)
The following is the text of the U.S. state employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT --
NOVEMBER 2011
Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in November. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases, three states posted rate increases, and four states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-five states registered unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, while five states and the District of Columbia experienced increases. The national jobless rate fell by 0.4 percentage point between October and November to 8.6 percent, down from 9.8 percent in November 2010.
In November, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 29 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 19 states, and was unchanged in 2 states. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in New York (+29,500) and Texas (+20,800). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Wisconsin (-14,600), followed by Minnesota (-13,700) and Colorado (-4,500). South Carolina experienced the largest over- the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.9 percent), followed by Arkansas and Wyoming (+0.6 percent each). Alaska experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-0.8 percent), followed by Delaware (-0.7 percent) and Montana (-0.6 percent). Over the year, 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 Wyoming (+3.0 percent) and Oklahoma (+2.8 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Delaware (-0.8 percent) and Georgia (-0.5 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
The West continued to record the highest regional unemployment rate in November, 9.9 percent, while the Northeast again reported the lowest rate, 7.9 percent. Three regions experienced statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes: the West (-0.4 percentage point) and the Midwest and South (-0.3 point each). Over the year, all four regions registered significant rate decreases, the largest of which was in the West (-1.1 percentage points).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 10.6 percent in November. The West North Central again registered the lowest rate, 6.3 percent. Eight divisions experienced statistically significant unemployment rate changes over the month, all decreases. The largest of these occurred in the East South Central and South Atlantic (-0.4 percentage point each). Five divisions recorded significant rate declines from a year earlier, the largest of which were in the Mountain and Pacific (-1.1 percentage points each). No division reported an unemployment rate increase from November 2010.
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 13.0 percent in November. California posted the next highest rate, 11.3 percent. North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.4 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.1 percent, and South Dakota, 4.3 percent. In total, 25 states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 8.6 percent, 10 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 15 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
Thirty states and the District of Columbia experienced statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate declines in November. The largest of these was in Michigan (-0.8 percentage point), followed by Alabama, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Utah (-0.6 point each). The remaining 20 states recorded jobless rates that were not measurably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
New Mexico registered the largest jobless rate decrease from November 2010 (-2.1 percentage points). Thirteen additional states reported smaller but also statistically significant decreases over the year. The remaining 36 states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In November, 13 states recorded statistically significant changes in employment, 7 of which were increases. The largest over-the-month statistically significant job gains occurred in New York (+29,500), South Carolina (+16,600), Georgia (+13,000), and Tennessee (+9,600). The largest over-the-month statistically significant declines in employment occurred in Wisconsin (- 14,600) and Minnesota (-13,700).
Over the year, 25 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in California (+233,100), followed by Texas (+226,000) and Florida (+98,100).
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The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for November 2011 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2011 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
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