Twenty-nine US states had unemployment rate decreases in February from January, 10 states had increases, 11 states, District of Columbia had no change; 49 states, District of Columbia had lower unemployment rates versus a year ago: Dept. of Labor

Allison Oesterle

Allison Oesterle

WASHINGTON , March 28, 2014 (press release) – Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in February. Twenty-nine states had unemployment rate decreases from January, 10 states had increases, and 11 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier and one state had no change. The national jobless rate, 6.7 percent, was little changed from January, but was 1.0 percentage point lower than in February 2013.

In February 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 33 states and decreased in 17 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+58,800), Texas (+37,600), and Florida (+33,400). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in North Carolina (-11,300), followed by Wisconsin (-9,500) and Georgia (-5,800). The largest over- the-month percentage increase in employment occurred in North Dakota (+1.3 percent), followed by West Virginia (+0.6 percent) and Delaware, Idaho, and New Hampshire (+0.5 percent each). The largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment occurred in Alaska (-0.7 percent), followed by Vermont (-0.5 percent) and Hawaii (-0.4 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 46 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 4 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.1 percent), followed by Nevada (+3.6 percent) and Colorado, Florida, and Texas (+2.8 percent each). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Kentucky (-0.3 percent), New Mexico (-0.2 percent), and Alaska (-0.1 percent).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

The West continued to have the highest regional unemployment rate in February, 7.2 percent, while the South had the lowest rate, 6.1 percent. The South had the only statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate change (-0.1 percentage point). Over the year, all four regions had statistically significant rate declines: the Northeast and South (-1.2 percentage points each), West (-1.1 points), and Midwest (-0.8 point). (See table 1.)

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to have the highest jobless rate, 7.6 percent in February, while the West North Central again had the lowest rate, 5.0 percent. New England and the South Atlantic had statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate declines (-0.3 and -0.1 percentage point, respectively), while the West North Central had a statistically significant rate increase (+0.2 point). Eight divisions had significant unemployment rate changes from a year earlier, all of which were declines. The largest of these declines were in the South Atlantic (-1.5 percentage points) and Middle Atlantic (-1.4 points).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Rhode Island continued to have the highest unemployment rate among the states in February, 9.0 percent. North Dakota again had the lowest jobless rate, 2.6 percent. In total, 22 states had jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 6.7 percent, 6 states had measurably higher rates, and 22 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not substantially different from that of the nation. (See tables A and 3.)

Ten states had statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate declines in February. The largest of these occurred in South Carolina (-0.7 percentage point) and Ohio (-0.4 point). Missouri and Iowa were the only states with significant over- the-month rate increases (+0.4 and +0.1 percentage point, respectively). The remaining 38 states and the District of Columbia had 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. (See table B.)

South Carolina had the largest jobless rate decline from February 2013 (-2.4 percentage points), closely followed by North Carolina (-2.2 points). Twenty-two additional states and the District of Columbia had smaller but also statistically significant rate decreases over the year. The remaining 26 states had unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier. (See table C.)

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In February 2014, 11 states had statistically significant over-the-month changes in employment, 8 of which were increases. The largest statistically significant job gains occurred in California (+58,800), Texas (+37,600), and Florida (+33,400). The only statistically significant job decreases occurred in North Carolina (-11,300), Wisconsin (-9,500), and Alaska (-2,300). (See tables D and 5.)

Over the year, 26 states had statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were positive. The largest over-the-year job increase occurred in California (+336,600), followed by Texas (+314,200) and Florida (+211,500). (See table E.)

_____________ The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for February 2014 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for March 2014 is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 18, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., February 2014, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
                State                |          Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................|           6.7
                                     |
California ..........................|           8.0
Delaware ............................|           6.0
Florida .............................|           6.2
Hawaii ..............................|           4.6
Idaho ...............................|           5.3
Illinois ............................|           8.7
Iowa ................................|           4.4
Kansas ..............................|           4.9
Kentucky ............................|           7.8
Louisiana ...........................|           4.5
                                     |
Maryland ............................|           5.7
Michigan ............................|           7.7
Minnesota ...........................|           4.8
Montana .............................|           5.1
Nebraska ............................|           3.6
Nevada ..............................|           8.5
New Hampshire .......................|           4.7
North Dakota ........................|           2.6
Oklahoma ............................|           5.0
Rhode Island ........................|           9.0
                                     |
South Carolina ......................|           5.7
South Dakota ........................|           3.6
Texas ...............................|           5.7
Utah ................................|           3.9
Vermont .............................|           3.7
Virginia ............................|           4.9
Wisconsin ...........................|           6.1
Wyoming .............................|           4.2
--------------------------------------------------------------
   1 Data are not preliminary.
   p = preliminary.



Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from January 2014 to February 2014, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Rate         |
                                |-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
             State              |  January  |  February |    change(p)
                                |    2014   |  2014(p)  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arkansas .......................|     7.3   |     7.1   |      -0.2
Iowa ...........................|     4.3   |     4.4   |        .1
Massachusetts ..................|     6.8   |     6.5   |       -.3
Missouri .......................|     6.0   |     6.4   |        .4
Montana ........................|     5.3   |     5.1   |       -.2
New Hampshire ..................|     4.9   |     4.7   |       -.2
North Carolina .................|     6.7   |     6.4   |       -.3
Ohio ...........................|     6.9   |     6.5   |       -.4
Pennsylvania ...................|     6.4   |     6.2   |       -.2
South Carolina .................|     6.4   |     5.7   |       -.7
Tennessee ......................|     7.2   |     6.9   |       -.3
Vermont ........................|     4.0   |     3.7   |       -.3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p = preliminary.



Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from February 2013 to February 2014, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Rate         |
                                |-----------|-----------|  Over-the-year
             State              |  February |  February |    change(p)
                                |    2013   |  2014(p)  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
California .....................|     9.4   |     8.0   |      -1.4
Colorado .......................|     7.1   |     6.1   |      -1.0
Delaware .......................|     6.9   |     6.0   |       -.9
District of Columbia ...........|     8.6   |     7.4   |      -1.2
Florida ........................|     7.9   |     6.2   |      -1.7
Georgia ........................|     8.5   |     7.1   |      -1.4
Idaho ..........................|     6.6   |     5.3   |      -1.3
Indiana ........................|     7.9   |     6.1   |      -1.8
Louisiana ......................|     6.4   |     4.5   |      -1.9
Maine ..........................|     6.9   |     6.1   |       -.8
                                |           |           |
Maryland .......................|     6.8   |     5.7   |      -1.1
Michigan .......................|     8.8   |     7.7   |      -1.1
Mississippi ....................|     9.0   |     7.4   |      -1.6
Nevada .........................|    10.3   |     8.5   |      -1.8
New Jersey .....................|     8.8   |     7.1   |      -1.7
New York .......................|     8.0   |     6.8   |      -1.2
North Carolina .................|     8.6   |     6.4   |      -2.2
Oregon .........................|     8.1   |     6.9   |      -1.2
Pennsylvania ...................|     7.7   |     6.2   |      -1.5
South Carolina .................|     8.1   |     5.7   |      -2.4
                                |           |           |
Tennessee ......................|     8.2   |     6.9   |      -1.3
Texas ..........................|     6.5   |     5.7   |       -.8
Utah ...........................|     4.7   |     3.9   |       -.8
Virginia .......................|     5.6   |     4.9   |       -.7
Wisconsin ......................|     6.9   |     6.1   |       -.8
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p = preliminary.



Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
January 2014 to February 2014, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              |   January   |   February  | Over-the-month
           State              |     2014    |    2014(p)  |    change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska .......................|     338,000 |     335,700 |      -2,300
California ...................|  15,291,600 |  15,350,400 |      58,800
Florida ......................|   7,685,100 |   7,718,500 |      33,400
Idaho ........................|     638,500 |     641,800 |       3,300
Nebraska .....................|     985,600 |     989,200 |       3,600
New Hampshire ................|     642,200 |     645,600 |       3,400
North Carolina ...............|   4,092,200 |   4,080,900 |     -11,300
North Dakota .................|     451,400 |     457,200 |       5,800
Texas ........................|  11,368,400 |  11,406,000 |      37,600
West Virginia ................|     762,000 |     766,700 |       4,700
Wisconsin ....................|   2,855,400 |   2,845,900 |      -9,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p = preliminary.



Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from
February 2013 to February 2014, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              |   February  |   February  | Over-the-year
           State              |     2013    |    2014(p)  |   change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona ......................|   2,500,100 |   2,548,000 |     47,900
California ...................|  15,013,800 |  15,350,400 |    336,600
Colorado .....................|   2,357,000 |   2,422,300 |     65,300
Delaware .....................|     424,400 |     433,900 |      9,500
Florida ......................|   7,507,000 |   7,718,500 |    211,500
Georgia ......................|   4,008,100 |   4,064,100 |     56,000
Indiana ......................|   2,923,000 |   2,965,900 |     42,900
Iowa .........................|   1,521,400 |   1,541,500 |     20,100
Massachusetts ................|   3,339,000 |   3,386,600 |     47,600
Minnesota ....................|   2,768,300 |   2,812,400 |     44,100
                              |             |             |           
Missouri .....................|   2,718,500 |   2,750,500 |     32,000
Nebraska .....................|     975,400 |     989,200 |     13,800
Nevada .......................|   1,161,700 |   1,203,000 |     41,300
New York .....................|   8,860,800 |   8,985,700 |    124,900
North Carolina ...............|   4,034,500 |   4,080,900 |     46,400
North Dakota .................|     439,400 |     457,200 |     17,800
Ohio .........................|   5,230,000 |   5,280,000 |     50,000
Oklahoma .....................|   1,626,600 |   1,646,800 |     20,200
Oregon .......................|   1,659,100 |   1,702,000 |     42,900
Rhode Island .................|     468,300 |     476,700 |      8,400
                              |             |             |           
South Carolina ...............|   1,884,900 |   1,912,400 |     27,500
Tennessee ....................|   2,740,200 |   2,777,900 |     37,700
Texas ........................|  11,091,800 |  11,406,000 |    314,200
Utah .........................|   1,278,400 |   1,309,600 |     31,200
Washington ...................|   2,967,700 |   3,019,700 |     52,000
Wisconsin ....................|   2,815,900 |   2,845,900 |     30,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p = preliminary.

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